A/N: I always try to look up the correct spelling for the characters names while I'm writing and in the 1st chapter when I wrote Halibel's name I looked it up and I guess there are 2 different ways it is written (Japanese and Romanized). I never realized it before so I'm going to use Halibel in this chapter because to me it looks more correct. Sorry for any confusion.

Chapter 2

"Ulquiorra, you're alive," stated Halibel as she lifted her surprised face while cutting off one of her subordinates in mid-sentence with a wave of her hand.

The green eyed Espada didn't feel the need to reply to such an obvious statement so instead continued to walk forward. His hands rested calmly in his pockets as he took in the scene around him; his eyes betraying nothing of the shock he felt at seeing the blonde woman sitting on his master's throne.

"What is going on here?" he questioned as he stopped his feet in front of the steps that lead to the wide throne.

"I have taken over control of Las Noches since Aizen's defeat. Only a few of us were left," answered Halibel as she sunk back into the hard chair.

Inside Ulquiorra's pockets his fingers clenched the fabric that hung between his hands and his legs. His eyes narrowed slightly but it was quickly erased as he asked, "How long has it been?"

Halibel's green eyes, a lighter shade than his own, stared evenly at Ulquiorra as she answered, "17 months."

Neither of the two Espada had ever been much for conversation so the quick dialogue came as no surprise as Ulquiorra turned around and started heading out of the room. He had always respected the #3 Espada. Her cool demeanor and unswerving patience were in large contrast to so many of the other ranking Espada. He had never understood though her devotion to her subordinates who seemed to be a rowdy group of hot headed idiots.

He turned from the room and subconsciously timed his footsteps to the slow thud that followed him down the hallways. He wondered at the source of this noise which had been with him since his thoughts had returned. Pulling his pale white hand from his pocket he reached up and slowly unzipped the top of his uniform down a few inches to reveal the hole that suddenly felt a strange tightening. He ran the tip of his finger around the edge and stopped his progression forward abruptly. 'Why did his hollow hole feel smaller?'

Suddenly his knees gave out beneath him and he nearly landed face first into the hard tiled floor but caught himself at the last second with his palms. He picked himself up onto his hands and knees and moved one of his hands back over the hole between his neck and chest. His index finger traced the edge of his skin once again and his eyes widened in shock when he noticed that the hole was even smaller. 'What is happening to me?' he asked himself.

When another wave of weakness washed over his body he dropped completely to the ground and rolled over onto his back, his eyelids closing tightly. His hand rested over his hollow hole and this time he could feel the skin as it seemed to stretch and form beneath his palm.

An intense wave of pain coursed through his body and his back arched up while his hands slapped the ground at his sides and tried to grab the tile underneath. His fingers slid over the cool marble due to the thin sheen of sweat that now clung to his entire body and his back slumped back down to the ground. A flood of air surged into his lungs and he gasped, clutching his throat at the new sensation.

Emerald orbs stared wide eyed at the ceiling above him while his breathing rasped greedily through his lips. When the rise and fall of his chest seemed to finally begin to slow, he slid his hand down from his throat. Pale fingers brushed against his collarbone and ran unhindered down his chest. The emptiness was gone.

Before he had time to absorb the shock of this revelation another bolt of pain sliced through his body and tore inside his head. His hands flew up to the top of his head, his one hand grasping the raven black hair between its fingers and the other pressing against the bone white helmet covering his head. The pain started to throb and he gritted his teeth against the onslaught.

When he thought he couldn't bare the pain a moment longer a blast of heat spread through his body and he heard a loud shattering. The heat pooled itself inside his chest and remained there while his rapid heart beat pounded loudly in his chest. His hand that had been clutching his helmet now held tiny pieces of bone and powdery sand. He released the handful of rubble and slid his fingers tentatively through his hair and rubbed the foreign skin beneath. The cool air felt strange on the newly exposed area. His other hand moved down to his chest and lay over his steadily beating heart.

He remained like this for several minutes while the pool of heat slowly started to cool with every breath. His hands moved to his sides and he lifted himself slowly from the ground into a sitting position. He placed his hands on either side of his head and slowly closed his eyes, rocking his body back and forth.

His thoughts began to run wildly through his head. What had just happened to him? His body felt weak. The amount of air needed to breathe seemed to have doubled and unfamiliar warmth tugged at his chest. It felt like he was being pulled by invisible strings to something unknown. Deep in his mind he was aware of a golden light glowing softly. A flash of silver orbs and sun kissed hair wafted through his thoughts. His chest tightened with the vision and he stopped his rocking, laying his hands on the ground and steadying himself as he rose from the ground. His legs wobbled underneath him and he reached a hand out to press against the wall. Hesitantly he took a step, not removing his hand as he placed his weight on the unsure foot. His muscles adjusted quickly to the new motion and he was able to let his arm fall back to his side as he started taking increasingly confident steps down the hall.

XxXxXxX

Orihime sat in class, her silver gaze straying to the open window as a cool breeze fluttered through the open space. She closed her eyes briefly to absorb the feeling and opened them quickly when a burst of heat flooded her chest. Her right hand reached up and pressed itself against her chest, clutching at the fabric of her uniform shirt as she gasped for breath. She quickly rose from her chair and ran out of the room, her movements followed by several startled and worried eyes.

She ran down the hallway, still clutching her chest and exited the building. After turning down several alleyways she leaned against the side of a building and tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart. Her shoulder dug into the red brick of the building as suddenly it felt like all the heat that had recently assaulted her chest felt like it was being sucked from her body. She turned to face the wall and her fingers grabbed onto the cool bricks in front of her as her body began to tremble. Her arms slid down the hard stones, slicing through her skin where a sharp edge dug into her. When her knees finally came in contact with the ground, she leaned her head against the wall and clutched her stomach as every last bit of warmth seemed to seep out of her body. A cry tore from her lips as a blast of icy liquid flooded her. She gritted her teeth and clenched her eyelids together at the feeling while her body continued to tremble.

Suddenly, a slow heat grew in her chest. Her hand pressed itself over the area and her breathing started to settle down. With every shuttering breath she took, the heat seemed to spread through her body until finally she was able to open her eyes again. She stared at the red and orange brick in front of her, her body slouching with exhaustion. When she heard footsteps rapidly approaching she turned her face to the side to see who it was.

"Inoue, what's wrong?" asked Ichigo as he took the last few steps to her side and knelt down, concern spreading across his face. Ishida, Chad and Tatsuki stood nervously behind.

Orihime closed her eyes and she took a deep breath before trying to lift herself up. Ichigo held out a hand to steady her and she clutched the proffered arm as she straightened herself. She looked at the concerned faces surrounding her and struggled to form a small reassuring smile. "I-I'm ok. I just need to rest for a minute."

The group looked doubtfully at each other as Orihime tried to gather herself. After a few moments Orihime looked up at each of their faces and asked, "Could one of you help me home? I think I just need to lay down for a bit."

They all spoke up at once but in the end it was decided that Ichigo would help Orihime home as the rest returned to class.

Orihime clung tightly to Ichigo's arm as she took a few steps forward. Her knee's wobbled under her weight with every unsure step until she felt arms scoop her up into a strong embrace. She didn't have the strength to look up so she rested her head against the warm hard chest and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, her breathing evened out and she fell into a heavy slumber.

"Inoue… I need your key," said Ichigo while he stood in front of the door to her apartment. Her response was a quiet snore. Ichigo grabbed the handle of the door and turned the knob, surprised to find it unlocked. 'Figures,' he thought. 'She trusted people way too much.'

He placed the sleeping bundle on the soft couch and took a step back to look at her. One of her hands was fisted against her mouth while the other curled itself around her stomach. He didn't want to leave her here alone but knew that the rest of the group would be wondering what happened if he didn't return.

When he started to walk towards the front door, his eyes glanced at the small shrine on the side of the room. He recognized the picture of Orihime's brother Sora but when his eyes went over to the other framed picture beside it he gasped. Scribbled on a piece of paper was a picture of what was undoubtedly Ulquiorra Schiffer. He stared at the shrine, confused as to why his friend would have drawn a picture of their enemy and placed it in such a highly regarded place in her room.

Closing the door behind him he decided he would come back immediately after school.

XxXxXxX

A few hours later, Orihime opened her eyes and looked around her apartment in confusion. 'How had she gotten here?' she wondered.

Her hands moved to her face and she rubbed her eyes to clear the blurriness. She felt a strange sensation pull on her chest and her hands instinctively reached down to press against the site. Taking a few deep breaths, Orihime pushed herself up and leaned against the back of the sofa. Her heart seemed to thud loudly in her chest and she listened to the steady rhythm as she felt herself relaxing.

When she finally felt strong enough to stand up, she pushed herself off of the couch and walked slowly across the room. She knelt down in front of her small shrine and hung her head as thoughts started to stream through her mind for her lost companions.

XxXxXxX

Back in Las Noches, Ulquiorra finally found his own rooms and stopped to stand in the center. He stared out through the large window and watched the unchanging moonlit sky. The tugging at his chest seemed to grow more intense with every passing second. His thoughts wandered to the last moments before his body had crumbled away. The woman's large silver eyes filled his entire vision as he reached towards the light coming from her. He'd never seen it coming. The whole time she had been his captive he never realized that it was she who had been claiming the others soul; not the reverse. It wasn't till the last moment that he was able to see it finally. His body had yearned to touch the warmth just once before he floated away into the wind. When her hand had lifted to touch his, he had finally understood everything she had spoken to him during her captivity.

Something registered in his brain when these thoughts started to tumble over themselves. His body started pulsing with a need to act on his thoughts and he found his legs moving rapidly out of his room and back towards the throne room. Upon entering, he found Halibel seated in the same spot as earlier with the same crowd of people surrounding her. He noticed the momentary shock that spread across her face at his appearance but he ignored it as he walked steadily to stand in front of her.

"Can you open a garganta for me? I don't seem able to do it myself anymore," he asked.

Halibel's mouth opened slightly and she took a steadying breath before she answered, "Of course. I'm assuming you want to go to that human town Aizen had been so interested in."

Ulquiorra nodded his head and took a step back as the blonde haired beauty rose from her seat and walked towards him. She stopped a few steps in front of him and silently opened the passageway. With a quick word of thanks, Ulquiorra stepped through and never looked back.

On the other side, Ulquiorra found himself in the same park he had gone to when he had first entered the living world. His eyes traveled over the lush green grass and brightly colored trees. A flowery fragrance filled his nose and he took a deep breath, absorbing the new sensation. Immediately he noticed the pull on his chest grow stronger. His feet instinctively started to move across the field as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. When he happened upon a young couple with a small child skipping beside them he was momentarily taken aback when their eyes rested on his form and the small child waved happily at his stunned face. He watched the smiling kid turn and start skipping in the other direction when he didn't return the gesture.

It became obvious after several more people who passed him acknowledged his presence that he was no longer invisible to people with no spiritual pressure. 'Was he human?' he wondered.

XxXxXxX

Orihime lifted her head after saying a few last prayers. When she stood up to get herself a glass of water, her body seemed to jerk itself to the side. She stopped where stood and stared at the door on the other side of the room. Without thought she grabbed the knob and opened the door, closing it firmly behind her. Her legs guided her across the street and she started walking down the sidewalk hurriedly. When a path on the right opened up to a large metal archway she walked underneath and entered the Karakura City Park. Her heart started beating faster and faster as she walked deeper into the park. She approached a fork in the path and turned her head from one path to the other. Something told her to leave the path and walk forward. After climbing a small hill, she froze in place when she spotted a familiar figure walking between two trees, their branches hindering a full view of the form.

Ulquiorra walked between the two trees and stopped to stare up the hill. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened at the sight. The woman's fiery golden hair swung easily in the strong breeze in time with the grey uniform skirt. She was staring down at him with those huge silver eyes that he remembered so clearly and her body seemed to be rigidly tense. He took a step forward and watched her lift her hand to her chest. When he took another step forward her hand started to slowly reach out in front of her. His steps quickened and soon he was only a few feet away. He lifted his own hand and slowly his fingers touched hers.

His fingertips slid between her warm ones and wound themselves together. The beating in his chest thudded so loudly in his ears he would swear she could hear it. He lifted his eyes from their connected hands to look at her upturned face. She stared back at him, her mouth open slightly as her eyes traveled over his face. Then, the most amazing thing happened. The corners of her mouth turned up just slightly and lifted into a shy smile. His whole body seemed to vibrate from within. His fingers trembled and her smile turned instantly into a look of concern.

"Ulquiorra…," Orihime finally spoke when the air returned to her lungs. She looked into his confused green eyes and spoke his name again.

After what seemed like a lifetime of silence, Ulquiorra finally answered, "Onna."

He took another step forward and their hands fell between them. Their skin rubbed against each others for a brief instant, sending sparks up both of their arms before parting. Orihime had never considered Ulquiorra to be a very large man. Compared to some of the other Espada he seemed rather small but with him standing so close to her she realized just how much taller he was than her. His black hair waved gently in the breeze and Orihime lifted her gaze to watch as locks of raven silk fell over his face. She wanted to raise her hand and brush back those strands but stopped herself after her hand twitched slightly upwards.

"W-What… How are you… here?" Orihime stuttered while asking.

Ulquiorra shrugged his surprisingly broad but lean shoulders. He reached a hand up to his chest and slid his fingers up towards his collarbone. Orihime's eyes followed his movements and when his finger made a circle over his skin her eyes widened and darted up to look into his. The air escaped her lungs as she gazed into his emerald orbs and watched as a look of complete helplessness covered his face.

Without hesitation, Orihime smiled widely and held her hand out towards him. She waited with arm outstretched for a few moments while Ulquiorra slowly raised his own hand and linked it to hers. She smiled again and started tugging him back across the field to the path. He kept himself a step behind the woman as she led him out of the park.

Orihime opened the door to her apartment and closed it quietly after Ulquiorra passed through. She released his hand and turned to face him. "You can stay with me. I'll take care of you now."

Ulquiorra couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. When did he earn any sort of compassion? He had come here because he hadn't had any choice. His body had led the way and now he stood before the woman whom he had treated so horribly when it had been his order to take care of her. He didn't deserve the warm smiles she kept giving him as he stood there, trying to understand her.

"Onna I couldn't…" Ulquiorra began to say before he felt soft fingers press against his lips.

"Shhh, don't worry. It'll be fine. You'll see," said Orihime as she turned and walked deeper into the room.

A sudden wave of excitement rushed through her as she skipped to the kitchen and started pouring out two glasses of juice. She handed one over to him and then took a long sip from her own glass.

Ulquiorra lifted the glass to his lips and sipped at the strangely sweet liquid. His lips puckered and his tongue darted out to slide across his lower lip to lap up the last drop. Orihime smiled at him nervously while she watched him and finally she asked, "Well, do you like it?"

He lifted his eyes and said, "It is acceptable."

Orihime giggled and then started when she heard a knock on her door. She walked around Ulquiorra and opened the door slowly just a sliver to look at whoever it was.

"Inoue? Can I come in?" a familiar voice asked from outside. Ulquiorra scanned his memory to put a face to the voice and spiky orange hair came to mind.

"Uh… just a second Kurosaki-kun," replied Orihime nervously. She quickly closed the door and placed her hands on Ulquiorra's back, shoving him forward across the room and down the hall. They came to a stop inside a small room and Orihime said, "Just stay here. I'll come get you as soon as I can get rid of him."

He watched the voluptuous figure leave the room and close the door behind her. He stared at his surroundings and noted the colorful knickknacks and stuffed animals that crowded the small space. Her narrow bed was tucked into the far corner underneath a large window with white curtains that had little pink hearts. Shortly after, he could hear voices outside the door.

"Come on in. Thanks for bringing me home before. I feel much better now," he heard the woman say with a touch of nervousness still tingeing her voice.

"Are you sure? You didn't seem very well earlier," the male voice asked.

"Yes yes I'm fine. You didn't have to come here and check on me. It's nice of you though," said the woman.

Ichigo looked at Orihime's nervous face and he knew there was something still bothering her. She seemed better though physically at least.

"You sure you don't want my dad to check you out Inoue?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh no that's not necessary. I feel great actually," Orihime answered while scratching the back of her head. "Umm… I'll see you at school tomorrow?" she asked, hoping he would leave before she wasn't able to hide the fact that she was hiding a man who had tried to kill him once in her bedroom.

Ichigo looked at Orihime's blushing face and shook his head in confusion. She was the strangest girl."Uh, ok. I'll see you tomorrow then," he said before turning and opening the door.

Orihime watched her former crush leave her apartment and she sighed in relief when the door finally closed behind him. She sprinted down the hall and opened the door to her room. Standing exactly where she had left him was Ulquiorra whose eyes stared back into hers.

"Sorry about that. Probably wouldn't be a great idea for the two of you to see each other… at least not yet," said Orihime.

Ulquiorra silently agreed with her and waited while she played nervously with the hem of her shirt.

"Well, are you hungry?" she asked.

Ulquiorra didn't know what it meant to feel hungry. He'd had no need to eat while he lived in Las Noches. The hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach though gave him some indication.

"I think so," he answered, receiving a warm smile from the woman before she turned and left the room. He followed her out and then watched as she started grabbing things from the large white appliance.

"Unfortunately I have a final tomorrow so I'm going to have to study after I finish making us something to eat," Orihime said while depositing a pile of stuff onto the counter.

His eyes followed her as she scurried around the small kitchen, throwing things into this pot and that pot and chopping other things up. He was transfixed by her movements. She seemed to know precisely what she was doing though he had no clue. "What are you doing Onna?" he asked as he watched her pour yet another pile of stuff into a bubbling pot.

She turned her head at his question and answered, "I'm making us dinner. Did you want something different?"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and said, "I have never tasted food so I wouldn't know the difference. This can't possibly be how humans feed themselves though. Most people would rather starve, I believe, than do all of this just for one meal."

"Oh yes you're probably right but I enjoy cooking so I like to do everything from scratch and I like mixing lots of different ingredients for added flavor," she said as she grabbed two bowls from the cupboard and started ladling some strange green concoction into both. When both bowls were brimming with the lumpy mixture, Orihime grabbed them and walked over to a small table in the corner. She placed a bowl on either side of the table and took a seat after motioning for him to do the same on the other side.

Ulquiorra did as she asked and sat staring at the bowl in front of him which was letting off a strange odor. He wasn't familiar with any type of human food so he wasn't able to distinguish any of the smells assaulting his senses. From the other side of the table, Orihime watched in eager anticipation as Ulquiorra stared at her masterpiece. After a full minute passed and he still hadn't touched the food she sighed and asked, "Well are you going to eat it? It's not that bad."

Ulquiorra moved his green eyes from the bowl to the woman in front of him. "You first."

"Oh but I wanted to see your reaction," she huffed.

He just stared at the woman, eyes narrowing from her words and watched as eventually she grabbed the two thin sticks that lay beside the bowl and started shoveling in the green food. He picked up the two sticks in front of him and tried to mimic the way her fingers held on to them. When he dipped them into the bowl of food one of them slid out of his grasp and landed in the warm liquid.

Orihime watched his actions and repressed a giggle that wanted to escape. Finally after many attempts, the man across from him got his first successful mouth full of food. She watched his face as he slowly chewed and then swallowed. "Well…?"

Without lifting his eyes from the task before him he responded, "It will do."

With a large smile Orihime dug into the rest of her food and sighed with delight when she was all finished.

Ok, I know this is a really bad place to end the chapter but I have to go out and I won't be able to continue until tomorrow so I didn't want to make anyone wait any longer. More to come tomorrow!

Thanks for the lovely reviews! I truly appreciate every one I get.