Disclaimer: I, in no way or form, own Bleach and I do not profit off of this fic.

AN: This is my idea of what could have happened after Orihime was kidnapped by the Espada. This does not follow the storyline line of the anime, though a few things that happened there will happen in this story. This is an Ichigo x Orihime fic. I love that couple!

Chapter 1: Disappearance

"Goodbye, Ichigo," Orihime whispered to the sleeping soul reaper. After which she left, leaving the room empty, save for Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo opened his eyes about an hour later, to find nothing but a foreboding feeling in his heart.

"I could have sworn that someone was just here…" he mumbled to himself. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, he got up and walked downstairs. "Karin! Yuzu! You up?"

"Yea!" The girls chorused from the kitchen. Ichigo walked into the kitchen then, grabbing a piece of toast and walked toward the door. "Wait brother, you have to eat more that that!"

"I'll be fine Yuzu; I'm not that hungry anyways." Ichigo said, rushing out the door and jogging down the street. "If I don't start waking up earlier I'm never gonna get to school on time…"

"ICHIGOOOOOO!"

"He's already gone dad."

"Dammit."

"GOOOD MORNING ICHIGO!"

"Shut up idiot I have a headache." Ichigo said in reply, clothes-lining the pest. Said idiot picked himself up off the floor, grinning idiotically.

"I know something you don't know…"

"That's really creepy, you know that right."

"Whatever, but Orihime isn't here today."

"She could just be sick you know." Ichigo said, frustrated by this meaningless babble.

"Yea, but girls talk to each other right?"

"…"

"Well none of the girls even got a text from her this morning. It's kind of fishy if you ask me." At this, Ichigo looked troubled, and he walked into the classroom, going to ask his friends about Orihime's disappearance. Ichigo walked to his own desk and leaned toward Uryu.

"Hey have you heard from Orihime this morning?" He said to him.

"Orihime isn't at school today?" He replied, turning around to look at her desk, just now realizing that it was empty.

"Seriously? You didn't notice? You're no help at all." Ichigo sighed. He got up and walked over to Chad. "Hey have you—"

"—Heard from Orihime today? No. I was going to ask you the same thing," he interrupted Ichigo, finishing his thought.

"I'm starting to get worried. Meet at Urahara's after school," Ichigo said, turning around to sit down, back at his desk. Maybe he will know something about this...

"Orihime is missing?" Kiske exclaimed after hearing of their friend's disappearance.

"We were thinking that we could track her reishi flow. It could lead us to where she is." Uryu suggested, walking into the shop.

"That's a good idea. Let's get started then," Urahara stated, walking to the front of the shop and spreading his arms, sensing for the strings of the soul that always remain from the people that they are tied to.

"You found anything yet?" Ichigo interrupted.

"…"

"Do you sense her?" Chad asked, walking up to the shop.

"…"

"Urahara—"Ichigo started.

"Would you please shut the hell up." Kiske interjected, fed up with the breaks in his concentration. The boys shut up after that, never having heard Urahara curse (and anxious to get their friend back).

"Found her…" he said, but in a melancholy tone.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Ichigo asked, confused as to his somber tone.

"I did not find her in the best of places… she's in Hueco Mundo."

"What the heck is Hueco Mundo?" Ichigo said, unfamiliar with the name.

"It is the land of the Hollows, and where the Arrancars reside. What's more, from what I can tell, she is in custody of Aizen." Urahara said, forlorn. There was an unbreakable silence after that which no one seemed very eager to break.

"…how is that possible?" said Chad, uncharacteristically speaking first.

"We didn't sense any hollows in Karakura last night, and that's when she disappeared." Uryu said.

"The only thing I can think of is that she went of her own free will." Kisuke said, his reasoning dark, but not faulty.

"She would never do that!" Ichigo said, defending his friend.

"Yea, Orihime would never associate with those monsters." Uryu said, supporting Ichigo, "but it's the only thing that makes since."

"We can't assume that!" Ichigo shouted, "We have to save her!"

"There, I agree with you." Kisuke said, not objecting to the redhead's instinct. "I'll make the arrangements to send you there."

"Thank you Kisuke," Chad said.

"Be here tomorrow at the same time. The passage will be open for you then." Urahara said, going back into the shop.

In Hueco Mundo…

Aizen sat on his throne in the main room, surrounded by the other Vasto Lorde, contemplating the outcome of the little mission that Ulquiorra was dispatched on. He sent him to bring the girl that Kurosaki was so fond of back to Hueco Mundo without making a scene—she was to be the bait that brought the soul reaper here. He could not simply take the soul reaper—he is to prominent to not be noticed by his friends immediately—and Captain Yammamoto knows of the boys potential and would no doubt send a force to bring him back; however, if he came of his own free will, then that would make things go so much more smoothly—he had no desire to lose any more of his force when there was a better option.

When Aizen was finished with his inner-rambling, Ulquiorra strode into the hall, gaining the attention of all the Hollows present when they saw the girl that he had in tow: she was average height, curvaceous, and had flowing orange locks.

"Lord Aizen, I have brought the girl that you requested," stated Ulquiorra, leading the girl down the, now silent, hall.

"Excellent, Ulquiorra. You have done well." At this, he paused, thinking for a moment, but then commanded, "You! Hollow," pointing to one of the lower class hollows standing behind his throne, "place her in one of the cells, I have no further use of her at this moment," finished Aizen, his eyes boring into Orihime's the entire time he said this.

Orihime closed her eyes, utterly terrified in this unfamiliar and evil place. The underling got up from his sitting position and left, shoving the girl out in front of him as he walked her down the hall of the throne room to show her to her 'room'.

"Now, Ulquiorra, if you would be so kind as to show us the how events unfolded," Aizen said, leaning forward in his throne and propping his head up on one fist, a posture of curiosity.

"Yes, Lord Aizen," replied Ulquiorra. He reached up to his face, placing his hand over his eye, and, much to the disgust of Orihime, who hadn't quite left the room yet, he pulled out his eye, holding it out in front of him and crushed it, energy dispersing throughout the room.

In his mind's eye, Aizen saw the story from Ulquiorra's perspective.

The fifth Espada had just received his mission and was heading through the gargantua. He sensed the reishi flow of the girl, Orihime, and followed it to the source. A red-haired girl in her late-teens was milling around in her house, and another girl was accompanying her. They seemed to be concoction some sort of brew in the kitchen.

"Thanks so much for inviting me over for dinner, Orihime!" said the other girl.

"Thank you for coming, Karin!" replied Orihime, identifying the other girl as Karin, "I normally only cook for one so this is a nice change."

"Well, you should have some company once in a while. I hope my brother isn't being too much of a pest at school, right?" Karin inquired.

At this, Orihime got a slightly red coloring to her cheeks and replied, "No! Ichigo isn't any trouble, really…"

"Ichigo?" the spy thought, "if this Karin is his sister, then it might work just as well if I brought her instead...but no… that would go against orders. Best keep to the plan." While he was thinking, the girls had already finished cooking and were seated at the table.

"Speaking of which, have you noticed Ichigo acting strangely lately? Maybe around school or something, because he seems kind of off to me, around home at least. He talks a lot less now, like he has a lot on his mind." Ichigo's sister said, a worried look on her face.

"Really? I haven't noticed! But now that you mention it, he has been turning down a lot of things that the group wants to do together lately. I just thought it was because he had something to do, but it seems now that there really is something wrong. Sorry, but I don't have the slightest as to what might be bothering him." Orihime replied, copying her companion's expression: brows furrowed, and a slight downturn of the sides of the mouth, her eyes were downcast, deep in thought.

"Human emotions have always baffled me," Ulquiorra thought, perched on the roof of the opposite house. "This is taking far too long. Maybe I should just kill Karin and take Orihime with me," he thought, getting to his knees, ready to pounce when suddenly, Karin stood up, looking out the window.

Ulquiorra froze, sure that he had been spotted when the girl said, "now I've gone and gotten worried," turning around to face Orihime, she said, "I have to get back to my house now; it's getting late and I need to see Ichigo."

Ulquiorra sighed in relief, settling back down from his tense position. "All I have to do now is wait until she is alone."

Orihime saw Karin out the door, waving her goodbye and turned around, heading back to the kitchen. When she turned the corner, she froze, staring at the stranger that now occupied the limited space.

"Human girl, you are to return to Hueco Mundo with me." Ulquiorra said, his face emotionless. Orihime was as still as a statue, until suddenly she burst into action, whirling around and dashing to the door, but as soon as she was about to reach it, she looked up to see the same man, blocking her way. "That was not a suggestion." He said, his face still expressionless.

"No! I refuse! I won't leave my friends." She cried, trying to get past him, but he grabbed her arm, throwing her back into the living room. She landed, her breath knocked out of her, and just wheezed, trying to get up.

"I will give you three hours. You may visit one person, but you will not be allowed to communicate with them," the hollow said, throwing her a bracelet, "Put that on. It will keep people from seeing or hearing you."

Orihime reluctantly obeyed, slipping the shackle over her wrist. She looked up, only to find the man mysteriously vanished. Orihime collapsed, crying as she curled in on herself, her head in her hands. She stayed like this for a good half hour until she finally got up.

"Humans are such weaklings." Ulquiorra thought, sitting on his previous perch: the roof on the opposite house. Finally, Orihime left, to say goodbye to whoever she chose.

She walked down the street, taking a twisting route, across sidewalks, through alleys, and under overhangs, when she finally arrived at a house. Ulquiorra had followed her, of course, but was not expecting to be led to the house of Ichigo Kurosaki. "If he senses me, the whole plan will have been for naught," the Espada thought, slinking away to hide, "I will just continue to watch the girl through her reishi movements."

Orihime passed through the door, insubstantial now that she had on the bracelet, and walked up to Ichigo's room. It was well into the night, so it was no surprise that he was asleep. It warmed her heart, seeing his face so peaceful. But it also made her insides grow cold, knowing that he will never know that she had even been here. Her eyes started to water as she crept closer to him. Ichigo moved in his sleep, turning his face upward, and if his eyes were open, he would have seen strait into the weeping eyes of Orihime. Orihime finally bent down, almost brushing noses with him, and a tear fell onto his cheek. He stirred, but after a while, he did not wake, so she closed the distance between them, and ghosted her lips over his. As soon as it started, it was over. Orihime whispered three words, too quiet for anyone to hear, and stood up, walking out of his room, through the house, and into the street, where the strange man was waiting for her.

"Time to go." Ulquiorra said, leading her through the now present gargantua.

Aizen opened his eyes, now able to see with his own, and spoke, "Very commendable, Ulquiorra. You have completed the mission without any hindrance. Everyone is dismissed." The hollows got up and exited the room; only Ulquiorra remained, still looking at Aizen.

"What is the purpose of this, Aizen? Surely Kurosaki is not as powerful as you have perceived."

"You will find out soon enough." Aizen replied, rising from his seat and walked down the vacant hall.