When I started this new series, I thought it might be interesting to insert brief recaps of significant past events in each chapter. And to make it interesting, I decided to write them like they were excerpts from reports issued by Soul Society, regarding all that's happened.

Unfortunately, this isn't the original version of the chapter that I had planned to post. It was almost finished writing... And then, my apartment was broken into, and my computer (with all my data from the last several years) was stolen, along with a bunch of other things. I lost a lot of important material that I can never get back... And I'm still reeling from the robbery.

Fallowing the end of the Winter War between Aizen's forces and Soul Society, various actions were undertaken in order to ensure stability. Kira Izuru, Hisagi Shuhei, and Momo Hinamori were sworn in as the new Captains of the 3rd, 5th, and 9th Squads. Investigations of Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen, regarding their complicity in the rebellion are now closed...

Following the conclusion of the War Crimes Trial and sentencing of Sosuke Aizen, peace talks between the respective representatives Soul Society and Heuco Mundo began. A year later, a formal treaty was agreed upon by both sides, eventually leading to the exchange of diplomats. Nelliel-Tu Obberschank continues to reside within the Seritei, as an Honorary Officer of the Court Guard and Soul Society's primary ambassador to the denizens of Hueco Mundo.

THESE PEACEFUL DAYS

Chapter Two:
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

Orihime and Ulquiorra were quietly eating dinner in the small dining room, which served as a link between the den and the kitchen. Much to the delight of the orange-haired young woman, the meal had gone down well with him with the dark-haired Arrancar.

"So, did anything interesting happen at work?" Orihime asked, making conversation.

Shortly after the successful conclusion of the peace talks between the leaders of the Shinigami and the Jarron's unified Arrancar, Ulquiorra had begun working at Urahara's shop. Both of them suspected that the ex-captain had offered him the job as a way of keeping an eye on them. While it slightly annoyed her that they were still being monitored, Orihime was still grateful that they mainly only had to deal with Urahara-san, rather than someone more inclined to adhere to the Shinigami dogma.

Ulquiorra paused and looked up from his food. "Actually... Over the last few weeks, quite a bit has been happening lately." He replied calmly, setting down his fork. "Much of the diplomatic duties have been assumed by Nelliel-Tu and Tia Hallibel in recent years. I only advise on occasion, so my presence is no longer needed for the various functions in the Seritei or Hueco Mundo."

"I'm glad..." Orihime replied with a small smile. "That first year, it was so nerve-wracking when you had to leave for days or weeks at a time." She admitted with a sigh. "It's so much better now, having you here, not having to worry about what might happen to you."

Ulquiorra became silent, watching the woman as she abruptly returned to her meal, as if she were focusing so intently on eating the food just to avoid his gaze. The Arrancar felt a subtle pang in his chest as he looked across the table at her...

...o.o.o...

Nelliel was standing atop a high wall, looking out at the expanse of Soul Society, smiling as her long mane of bright mint green hair fluttered in the breeze. Since her final transformation three years, the crack that had dominated her Hollow Mask had all but vanished- replaced with a barely visible hair-thin line that showed where the break in the skull-like Mask had once been.

She was dressed in the long black robes of her position within Soul Society- her special Diplomatic Badge fixed to an armband around her left sleeve. A white obi-sash was bound around her waist and tied in the front, with her Katana tucked into it. The female Arrancar took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. Her kimono top was tucked into a pair of black hakama trousers, making her white tabi and straw sandals just visible beneath the fringe.

Nelliel heard a scuffling sound and looked to her side, just in time to watch as a pink-haired girl scampered onto the top of the wall with her. The girl looked up at her with a big grin, prompting her to smile back warmly at her. "Yachiru-chan, what are you doing here?"

The tiny girl returned her smile. "Nell-chan," She began with a big grin. "Ken-chan told to come tell you to meet him in the training hall..." Yachiru explained, recounting the instructions the imposing swordsman had given her. "Oh yeah, he said somethin' about sparring."

The female Arrancar smiled at her and gave a nod of affirmation. "Well now, we certainly don't want to keep Captain Zaraki waiting, now do we?" Nelliel replied cheerfully. She reached down to ruffle her cotton-candy hair affectionately, before she scooped the small girl up into her arms, just as Ichigo had done with her years back when she was stuck in her child-form.

With Yachiru in tow, she effortlessly leapt from the wall and took off...

...o.o.o...

Orihime sighed contentedly as the feeling of his strong hands on her body, on her stomach and her eyes closed as Ulquiorra went about working the tension of her muscles. His expression was unreadable as he tended to the woman's supple pink flesh with his pale hands. "Ahh... Ulqui, that feels like heaven, you're so good at this." She murmured happily as he rubbed her shoulders and back.

Without saying anything, he slid his hands hands down to her hips as he leaned down to gently kiss soft skin on the back of her neck. The redhead blushed and rolled over, as if to protest, only to lose focus under his intense gaze. She smiled and relented, allowing him to to lean in once more, this time planting a hot kiss on her soft rosy lips. She returned the gesture, the two of them kissing for several secants before he pulled back to regard her.

She sat up, pausing to pull the straps of her large bra back over her shoulders to prevent it from possibly slipping off her as she moved. At the moment, she was only dressed in a matching bra and panties as she sat before her roommate and lover. Ulquiorra, for his part, was shirtless, just wearing a pair of dark green scrub pants. He was kneeling before the couch she was situated on, silent and looking directly into her warm brown eyes with a piercing gaze.

"What's come over you Ulquiorra?" The young woman asked. "Has something happened? I mean, You're usually not like this." Orihime continued, looking into his deep green eyes for what felt like an eternity, waiting for him to answer. Ulquiorra started to move his lips, as if he were about to say something, only to fall silent once more.

He then abruptly rose up and placed his hands on her shoulders. Before she could speak, he gently pushed her back against the cushions. Ulquiorra leaned against her, his muscular chest pressing against her full breasts, his chin coming to rest on the crux of her neck as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

Orihime blushed. "Ulquiorra...?"

...o.o.o...

Ishida was sewing the sleeve from Tatsuki's martial arts top back on. The two of them were presently seated in the middle of the wooden floor of the dojo. He paused his sewing for a moment and looked up at the figure of the young woman, only a few meters from him.

"So, tell me, how exactly did this happen?" He asked her in a professional tone.

Tatsuki blushed faintly at the question. She was sitting cross-legged, currently dressed in her white martial arts pants, with a gray sports top that covered her upper torso and modest breasts. Her firm stomach was visible and her Judo black belt hung around her neck like a towel. The sporty young woman's thick spiky black hair was pulled into a long ponytail in the back.

"I-it happened during today's class," She began, still blushing. "I was showing everyone how to do a particular throw, like usual... B-but then my gi got caught up as I was performing the toss, and my sleeve tore loose." Tatsuki explained to him in a huff.

Ishida resumed sewing while covertly observing the woman before him. Tatsuki was probably the farthest from the sort of girl he thought he'd ever get into a relationship with... He was the first person to admit just how mismatched the two of them must have appeared: he was the quiet, introspective guy from the handicrafts club that liked to sew, and she was the rowdy tomboy, with a black belt in judo, who could throw around guys around like rag dolls. And yet, he couldn't help but fall for her as they spent time together and got know each other.

Not that the circumstances of them becoming a couple were any less unusual. What had started out as a mutual desire not to be alone, gradually grew into a true relationship. Ishida had realized that what he fealt for Orihime was just as one-sided as her feelings for Kurosaki. Tatsuki had remained more vague about her own issues, only remarking that she just didn't want to be alone. And this sentiment was something that he could certainly relate to.

The Quincy smiled to himself, thinking about how he was the only one who got to see a side of Tatsuki that no one else could... Rare moments when she let her guard down, when she allowed herself to lean on him for support, or when she revealed a rare femininity that she ferociously hid from others.

"You know, Tatsuki," Ishida began, still smiling. "You can be surprisingly cute sometimes."

The young woman's face instantly turned a dark shade of red. Tatsuki grabbed a bottle of oolong tea to throw it at Ishida. "And you can be really obnoxious sometimes!" She exclaimed as she sebt the bottle sailing past Ishida's head, narrowly missing him as he ducked.

Ishida lifted his head back up and gave her a sly smile. "Though, you know, you can also be pretty cute when you're upset too." He added, only to have her lunge at him.

...o.o.o...

"Ulquiorra...?"

Ulquiorra continued to hold their positions, pressed up against her with his head nestled in the crux of her neck, slowly breathing in the scent of her hair. At last he spoke. "This must be what it's like to be addicted to something...?" He mused out loud. "Even when we're apart, I can still feel you, as if something were pulling at this at this heart you gave me."

"Even now, even when I'm so close to you... I feel anxious, like it's still not enough." The dark-haired Arrancar remarked as his green eyes met her deep brown eyes. "I never wanted or desired anything before I met you..." He paused for a moment. "But now, everything's changed since then, it's almost as if you're an intoxicant that I can never get enough of."

With that, Ulquiorra fell silent and urged her down onto the couch, then leaned down and hungrily kissed her fervently on the lips. Orihime moaned into his mouth, squirming under him, but she was quick to return the gesture. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as they kissed. Her large breasts were squeezed between the two of them under the weight of his body, but she was too preoccupied to take any notice of any discomfort as she kissed her lover...

In the heat of the moment, as things became more heated, the two accidentally ended up sliding onto the floor- between the couch and the coffee table. Undeterred, the two of them continued!

...o.o.o...

Down in the lower levels of Shop Urahara, the scruffy blond in question was setting up a microphone and and a recorder on a counter top. "Alright now, my dear, I'd like for you to just relax and say whatever comes to mind..." The ex-captain began. "Like how it feels on you, or if you're experiencing any significant effects on your body... Thing like that."

They were in a research and development lab. Yuroichi was standing beside him, a feline smile on her face. The dark-skinned was leaning back with her arms crossed, her long black hair pulled into her usual pony, and dressed in her mix of loose clothing and black spandex. Renji was there as well, dressed in civilian clothing from the human world. Arachne was standing in the center of the brightly lit room, dressed in a form-fitting bright red garment that resembled a one-piece swimsuit.

Urahara gave the female Arrancar a reassuring smile and turned on the recorder. It had taken a bit of convincing from Renji, but Arachne eventually agreed to travel with him the Human World to help test out a new experimental Gigai. It had been made specifically for use by Arrancars, to disguise them and conceal their chaotic spiritual energy from detection.

The red-haired Soul Reaper had been quick to encourage her to agree to this. The Lieutenant had some vacation time coming, and he wanted to go somewhere nice with Arachne. So when he was contacted by the former captain about trying out a new Gigai, it seemed like fate to him. Even after all her time with him and his friends, Renji was still the only person that she fully trusted.

The two of them were still learning about each other. Perhaps it was because of all the time she'd spent on her own, or her predatory nature, but she had never really fully adjusted to being in large groups or surrounded by unfamiliar people. Since she'd moved in with him in Soul Society, he could vividly recall a number of times when she had approached him... uncharacteristically shy and demur, seeking reassurance and comfort- sometimes through physical intimacy!

He had to admit: Arachne, standing there, dressed in that little one-piece that hugged all her curves and showed off her long legs, that she cut a hell of a figure. At the moment, the Gigai was concealing her Mask and Hollow Hole. But there were less obvious differences, like how the sharpness of her teeth and claws (now nails) had been lessened as well.

"It really weird, Mr. Urahara, I know it's there..." Arachne began. "I mean, I can tell that it's regulating my spiritual energy, but I can't feel it." She continued as the others listened. The female brought her hands up and slowly traced the tips of her fingers along her jawline, up to her earlobes, confirming that her Mask really was gone. Then her eyes went wide and she brought a hand up to her torso, just below her breasts, where here Hole normally would have been.

"I-it's gone, the Hollow Hole, it's really not there..." She murmured to herself. "Like this... I could pass for a hu-" Arachne suddenly turned to face Renji. "Tell me the truth, Renji, how do I look?" She continued in a slightly nervous voice. "I don't look strange like this do I?" She asked him nervously.

Renji fell silent for a moment, taken back by the sight before him. He regarded her for a moment, observing that even with all the changes, the woman he knew was still there. She still had her long silky raven-black hair, that came all the way down to her waist, her piercing dark crimson eyes, that looked like garnet gems, and her flawless fair skin.

The redhead smiled at her. "No, there's nothing wrong." Renji began. "I could tell instantly that you're still the same woman you've always been." He continued. "You look beautiful." He finished coolly, blushing even as he said the last part.

Arachne's face flushed a shade of red that mirrored her crimson eyes. Her bottom lip trembled slightly for an instant, before curving into a smile. The female Arrancar rushed over to him and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace, her lips crashing against his in a kiss.

Both Urahara and Yuroichi watched the antics of the two, then subtly looked towards each other and exchanged knowing smiles. The blond reached down and turned the recorder off, before turning to face his fellow ex-captain, the bronzed beauty grinning broadly. They watched them as Arache finally drew back from Renji, both of them red-faced as they caught their breaths.

"Well now," He began, removing his hat to run a hand through his hair. "It's not quite the sort of hard scientific data that I was planning for..." Urahara remarked with a sly smile, donning his iconic striped hat once more. "But all in all, I expect that this will still do the trick."

...o.o.o...

Orihime fealt tired, but satisfied...

She realized, afterward, that they hadn't done anything quite like in a while. Sure, they had sex often enough that it thinking about it any detail would still make her blush. But what had just happened was somehow different, something primal and basic in the way they made love.

And she had thoroughly enjoyed it, to be sure! But as she savored the warmth of the ebbing post-coital glow of their coupling, she just couldn't shake the notion that there was something that she was failing to register, some little piece of the puzzle that she was missing. Eventually, Orihime concluded that this was something that she couldn't decipher on her own. In other words, she was going to need some outside input if she hoped to figure this out.

But that could wait till later... For the moment, she had other things to consider. Orihime sat up and looked to the other side of the bed where Ulquiorra lay. He was lightly dozing at the moment, his body only half-covered by the sheets. She quietly shifted her weight on the side of her hip, sow that she could gaze down at him in a more comfortable position.

She couldn't help but admire the contours of his lean muscular body. Orihime was tempted to trace the the hard lines of his body with her fingertips- in particular, his abdominal muscles that vanished under the bedsheets. She noted the circle of scar-tissue over his chest and below the base of his neck, as well as the teal tear-lines that ran from his eyes and down the sides of his face.

His thick dark lashes flickered momentarily, then opened up to reveal his shocking green eyes as he looked up at Orihime, casually toying with a strand of her brown hair. "Orihime, what are... what are you thinking about right now?" Ulquiorra asked as he looked into her brown eyes.

Orihime smiled at the question. "Oh, I was just thinking about how good-looking you are."

(- End of Chapter 02 -)

Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out, but as I explained, I had rewrite this entire chapter from the ground up after my laptop was stolen. Anyway, I just want to say thanks to the readers and let you guys know that I already have the next chapter in the works.

-Bojack727