Title: Requiem- Against All Odds, A Heart Is Born

Author: TahDahBanana

Characters : Ulquiorra Cifer, Orihime Inoue, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki

AN: The following Fan fiction is set in a somewhat alternate universe. It's set roughly ten years after Ulquiorra was killed by Ichigo and he as returned to the human world as a human soul.

Ever since he had died, Orihime had thought about Ulquiorra all the time. It seemed so unfair. Even though she knew the reasons behind why he had to die it didn't make her heart hurt any less. She carried on each day with a smile on her face and her bouncing personality. She was all grown up since that day- boarding on twenty-five years old, life had passed by Orihime but still he heart craved the mysterious man who she alone was able to get to understand the concept of heart. The ginger haired girl had watched all her friends grow up and form relationships, some had even got married and even though she was working full time inside of her bakery that she opened a few years ago she still wished that she had the green eyed man that she had began to fall in love with.

She knew a long time ago that she needed to give up on Ichigo. He had fallen more and more in love with Rukia and Orihime was brave enough and kind enough to step aside and let them have each other. She had tried to have a relationship with Uryu Ishida but it didn't last. She didn't want to hurt him and even though Orihime did love Uryu it wasn't as deeply as she had felt for Ulquiorra. She didn't want to lead him on just to break his heart later on, it would have been unfair. They all remained good friends but Orihime was the one that was left single and her heart continued to ache for Ulquiorra even though she knew he was never going to return and she would never see him again.

The sound of the bell on the door of the bakery rang and she instantly perked up and fixed the light pink apron around her waist. It did get lonely working in the bakery alone but Ichigo and Rukia always came by when they weren't busy decorating their new house or going to the appointments they needed to attend for Rukia's pregnancy. Orihime was very happy for them and didn't feel jealously, she was just glad that it had all worked out for the best.

"Hi GUYS~!"

Orihime shrieked loudly and bounded around to the other side of the counter and hugging both Ichigo and Rukia tightly. It had only been a day since she last saw them but she was very affectionate and friendly and there was never a time where she wasn't happy to see her old friends, especially since so much had changed.

"Hey Orihime, you're squashing me"

Rukia's voice was muffled by the large breasts that were in her face. Orihime blushed and let out a girlish giggle and pulled away from the couple.

"Sorry Rukia"

She smiled and looked back and forth between them silently waiting to find out what they were doing there. Every time they visited they always bought some pink cupcakes that Orihime specially made for Rukia, they were of Chappy the Rabbit and she always through in a strawberry and chili one for Ichigo, a seaweed infused with banana one for Byakuya and a fish and bean paste one for Renji. Nobody had the heart to tell the bright and bubbly sweetheart that her food was revolting. They tried to gently convince her to do something else but Orihime loved to cook and secretly she had dreamed that one day that she would cook for Ulquiorra, after they were married and they too had a baby. She knew how mad everyone would be at her if they knew how she felt. Ulquiorra was the enemy, working for Aizen, so long ago. He was an Espada in Aizen's army and there was no one that would have understood how she felt for him in the end, especially no one in the human world or in the Soul Society, they would have all judged her for falling in love with a bad guy so she didn't tell anyone how much she really liked Ulquiorra before he had perished through Ichigo's doing.

"Nii-Sama really loved your Wakame cupcakes last time Orihime, he would really like some more. He gave me all this Kan to give to you"

Orihime blushed again and looked down at the Soul Society money that Rukia had pulled out of her pocket. She was overwhelmed that her baking had pleased someone that was never pleased, by anything. It was a shock but it made her heart flutter with joy.

"RIGHT AWAY~!"

The woman skipped off again to quickly fill one of the pale green boxes with a black ribbon around the square with the seaweed banana cupcakes. Her grey eyes continued to look at the colors of the box. She hadn't even realized that she had picked out those colors. Orihime could feel her eyes starting to form tears. Her heart was hurting and she wished that she could just get over him

"Orihime, are you alright?"

She looked up to Ichigo and quickly smiled her fake beam of joy and wiped away the tears that had only gently escaped. She nodded her head wildly and folded down the lid of the box, handing them over to the substitute Soul Reaper.

"Ah-huh. Yep everything is good. I really have to go now though. I'm late to meet Tatsuki"

Orihime didn't like lying to Ichigo and Rukia but she didn't want them to see her cry. She needed to leave the store and go home before she began to bawl. Orihime didn't want to burden her friends any more then she had in the past. They all had their own lives to live and she couldn't annoy them with her troubles. She had contemplated talking to Yoruichi about it but she didn't think the newly Mrs. Urahara was going to know what to say about Orihime feeling something for not only an enemy but a deceased enemy. The only one that may have understood her was Rangiku Matsumoto but Orihime hadn't seen the other ginger haired woman in quite a few years. She understood that the Lieutenant of division ten was probably really busy so she didn't hold any grudges against her.

Orihime left the shop, knowing that Ichigo and Rukia would lock the store up for her. She trusted them greatly so she had given them both a spare key, just in case. Orihime couldn't stop from tearing up once again as she walked the streets to get home. She wished so desperately that she could have the same happiness that everyone else had. She didn't want her friends to hate her but she couldn't control how her heart felt. As she walked slowly through the chill of the winter wind she could hear the sound of thin wood clacking lightly together. Her sweet smile returned noticing the Wish tree that stood just aside the gates of the local cemetery. There was something poetic about the tree being there with so many wishes written on wooden planks for the dead she had thought about writing one for Ulquiorra but she was worried someone might see it one day and then her secret would no longer be quiet. Everyone would know that she was a betrayer

She pulled her bottom lip up with her teeth and lightly bit down. Maybe she could write one and hide it amongst some of the other ones and then no one would ever have to find out the truth. She decided that Ulquiorra deserved good wishes for him in death. Orihime quietly walked across the street and inserted a coin into the box that housed the slender wooden planks and a black brush like pen. He placed the end of the pen to her lips and thought about what she would write. It had been ten years ago that she watched Ulquiorra die and become nothing but a pile of ash but if she were lucky he would still be delivered her well wishes and her message. Orihime wrote her note onto the wood and using the red string that was attached, she slipped it onto one of the thick branches, tucking it behind some others so it couldn't be seen.

She knew that was a long shot and then her wish was probably made too late but she wanted to believe that her message was going to reach Ulquiorra. Orihime was always optimistic, she wanted to always have faith that everything would turn out alright. Orihime's heart was so filled with hope and love and kindness. She had so much devotion and love to give to someone, someone that she wanted to give it to and that was Ulquiorra and if he never did return to her then she was still happy that she got to meet him and spend some time with him. She was the one that made him understand heart and what it meant to have the feelings she had for her friends and the hope that always filled her soul.

Once her message was on the tree she was able to smile again and Orihime continued her walk home back to the apartment. Her eyes traveling up to the stars every so often. She knew it was stupid but she swore that sometimes she could see the twinkling objects form the number four, just for her. It was such a selfish thought but she didn't want to hear or even think that Ulquiorra would be gone forever that the only memory she would ever have was in her heart and of his death. She was never afraid of him and that was the bridge that linked them together.