The night was cold, though it was still young, one of many that she would have to endure. She should be used to it - one could never really get used to the feel of the frosted ground underneath their back, the way the rain fell mercilessly on your exposed body, when the clothes that were once considered warm were anything but. The cold air seeped through the holes in her old outfit.

She was familiar with it though - the pain in her stomach from starvation, the dry ache in her throat from lack of water and the feeling of never being able to stay warm, she just couldn't get used it, no matter how hard she tried.

She gave herself credit for being able to survive thus far, she had bitten the cold and hunger since she'd been a child, survived the cold rooms of the under funded orphanage and into the adulthood in the streets - but she didn't know how much longer she could do it.

Orihime had never had a taste of a home cooked meal, never had a caring mother or father who could read her stories at night and keep her forever close. No, Orihime had anything but a normal - but she craved one desperately - that was for sure.

Cold wind blew across her small form, causing rough shiver or roll down her spine. She tried to futilely pull her jumper close pr to her petite but voluptuous form, even though it was too big for her it did little to shield her from the harsh weather. It was nights like this that Orihime almost pitied herself - almost. She couldn't pity herself, she absolutely refused to, there were many others like her. So on nights like these she prayed for them, blessed their lives and thanked God for her own.

But she also thought about what her life should have been like and not how it turned out.

Her mother, with glowing auburn hair and grey eyes with a subtle hint of blue in them like herself, her father, with darker hair and a warm smile - like her loving brother who died with them. She liked to think that they would have lived in a grand house with pets to love.

All the things that she had wanted in life, what most of the other children got when they were adopted from the orphanage, and yet, no one had ever wanted her. All she had ever gotten was rejection and the so he would lay in bed and all she could smell was the mould from the ceiling of her room that was rotting away and the pungent of faeces from the toilets that seemed to have never been cleaned.

Orihime tried to ward off the memories of that horrible prison but no matter what she did the memories kept haunting her, invading her thoughts and her dreams.

She was walking along the halls of the orphanage, her feet bare and frozen - braving the cold wooden floorboards. Her hands were numb and trembling, the air biting at her pale, fragile skin. She peeked though the crack in the door to her left as she walked by, the family was talking to one of the boys that lived at the orphan with her - they were smiling and nodding, listening intently.

Orihime was started as Ms. Suna suddenly yelled "Orihime Inoue, you're next!" That woman was truly vile.

Tatsuki, a girl that Orihime had become close to passed by her, having just finished with Ms. Suna. The words that Tasuki were comforting "be strong Hime", Tatsuki squeezed her hand as she walked by and smiled lightly.

Orihime had grown fond of the nickname that had been awarded to her by Tatsuki. Hime, it was unique in its own simplicity - it made her feel special and loved. It make her feel known and acknowledged.

She cautiously walked into the bathroom that she assumed had been a gleaming white once upon a time, it was now a sickening shade of green and brown from time, mould, negligence and uncleanliness. She looked up to the imposing figure, who smiled at her darkly, with two yellow teeth showing - the rest missing. Orihime liked to compare her smile to acid.

"Strip". Orihime had many qualms about exposing herself, especially in front of someone to vulgar; for Christ's sake, she was only eleven years old!

Nonetheless, she obeyed and then a bucket of freezing water was thrown over her head, causing her to convulse furiously. Ms. Suna slapped her mercilessly across the face - Orihime's face went blank and she immediately stopped shivering, she had learned that showing her emotions wasn't a good idea.

She was scrubbed down roughly, but the cold water did little to scrub the dirt from her body, under her fingernails, the clumps in her thick auburn hair, but she did appreciate this time, she got the think. But she only had one thing to think about: adoption. And that always made her instantly unappreciative. The only reason that Ms. Suna would ever wash the children was when potential parents were visiting.

She would close her eyes and scrunch her hands into fists. Please god, if you're there please listen. Please let this be my day, please, please, get me out of here.

Orihime had to keep herself from crying every time she was rejected, it seemed as though she would never be adopted and she didn't know why. The parents that she had met and talked to had seemed thrilled by her presence and seemed to like her, but something always went wrong...

"You shouldn't get your hopes up child, you're going to be stuck here till you're sixteen, and then you'll be out of this place...and left of the streets" she grinned that toothless, empty smile at her and Orihime had to resist from slapping that smile right off her face.

It was true though, the older the orphan the less likely adoption becomes. It was a terrible rule, but one that was indefinitely true.

Orihime was woken from her dream by violent shaking, was there an earthquake? In her sleepy state she assumed it was an earthquake, but it was really a man, shaking her awake. She blinked into alertness and looked at the man.

He was incredibly handsome.

His dark locks fell across his face and were in great contrast with his emerald green eyes and paper white skin. The planes of his face seemed to have been hand chiseled from marble. His was an angel, Orhime understood.

That was it, this was the end of the line - the dark streets had finally killed her. Orihime was flattered to have an angel sent for her - though she didn't know why she should be going to hell, that's where all the bad kids went p, that's what she had been told.

Ms. Suna had once found her praying to God, kneeling by the side of her bed.

"You stupid, insolent little girl, you think that God will help you?" Her laugh was cruel and menacing. "God could never love someone like you, he only loves those that are simple, those who have love, those who have a family. He doesn't even know you exist"

Orihime couldn't believe that she had ever listened to that disgusting woman. Now here he was, a perfect angel to take her to the kingdom of heaven. "I'm ready" she whispered, the light became too much and she passed out.

Ulquiorra Schiffer walked along the streets of Karakura, eyeing the girls that were eyeing him. He had just left his office and was now heading home. Normally, he wouldn't called a driver but tonight he felt like going for a walk before calling his car.

Ulquiorra had just finished his walk and was holding his phone in his hand - ready to call his driver when he heard a noise. It was the sound of whimpering, Ulquiorra thought someone was in trouble so he ran to the sound and when he came to an alley he couldn't see anyone but the horrifying sounds were still present. He walked further into the alley - more cautiously now.

I shouldn't be here.

It was almost as if the sounds were being whispered into his ears now, he was so close but for the life of him he could decipher where they were emanating from. He went to turn from the alley when he saw a bundle of orange curls. Ulquiorra crouched down and discovered that the noises were coming from the small homeless woman, a beautiful woman at that. He shook her gently, trying to wake her.

Here eyes opened slowly, revealing a magnificent shade of grey with tiny flecks of blue. She looked at him curiosity, as if he was her dying savior, and then she spoke, he could barely hear her. "I'm ready" and then her eye shut again.

Ulquiorra jumped back slightly thinking that she had just died but then saw that her chest was still rising and falling and was slightly relived. He was about to leave her and walk away but something stopped him from doing it, this woman had nowhere to go.

He sighed "I'll take you with me". He pulled out his phone and called his home. He spoke to the person on the other end "Run a bath and prepare some clothes and the guest room". Ulquiorra called his driver and waited, picking up the girl - who wasn't surprisingly light weight. He carried her out of the alley and to the nearest road. His car pulled up and his driver stepped out.

"Sir, what's going on?" He sounded surprised. "Never mind, just open the back door" Ulquiorra spoke monotonously. Ulquiorra looked down at the woman, brushing her thick hair away from her pale face, her features were soft but sunken in.

Ulquiorra sat down in the back seat - stretching the woman out and laying her head on his lap, his driver started the car as soon as Ulquiorra signaled it. They drove carefully through the traffic and back to the Schiffer Manor.

The car was expensive, a Mercedes Benz, it had cream leather interior and Ulquiorra could see some of the dirt rub off the woman and onto the leather. Normally this would've bothered someone like Ulquiorra but at the moment all he could think about was the beautiful woman who was sleeping on his lap.

Was she a drug user? Had her family died? Was she a teen that ran away from home and never came back?

It seemed that she had been homeless for quite a while. Her cheek bones were prominent on her face as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. He stroked her hair softly - this wasn't like him, he wasn't meant to be caring, he was meant to be a ruthless business man that didn't stop for anyone until he made his way to the top. He didn't know why this woman suddenly changed him. Although Ulquiorra was quite the ladies man he didn't have any real relationships - he never cared for any of the girls that he had been with - they were merely for his satisfaction.

Ulquiorra's phone buzzed and he picked it up, hearing Nelleil on the end of the line.

"What do you want?" Nelleil almost yelled - wasn't Nelliel the one calling him?

"Listen, I have a woman with me-"

"Shocker"

"No, this is different, I found the woman in an alley, she needs taking care of. I will explain if I must when we get back, but get one of the maids to run a bath for her"

"Ulquiorra-"

"Nelliel" Ulquiorra interrupted, he must have sounded serious because the man on the other line fell silent.

"Where are you?" Nelliel was a lot calmer now.

"Ten minutes away"

"See you then" Nelleil hung up the phone and Ulquiorra went back to soothing the woman. Her exquisite eyes fluttered open delicately, Ulquiorra found himself enraptured in their depths.

"Where am I?" She spoke softly - her voice was like music.

"You're safe, what's your name" he asked, curious.

"Orihime" she answered before letting her eyes slip again.

"Orihime" he repeated softly. "Suits you"

He looked down at her again, wondering what is was about this woman that had intrigued him so much.