Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, that is the property of Tubo Kite. I only own this plot and my character Aoiko.

AN/ so sorry! I said this weekend, And I missed a bit. My dad was wiping my computer of Vista and installing Windows 7, and that took the weekend. And I was too busy monday and yesterday. But now you get this lovely chapter which sets up the story. I hope you all enjoy it. I am copying the text for the first part of this chapter directly from the manga translation I read online. So it seems a little stilted. Starts from chapter 277, page 6.


"Fix him" He told the orange haired woman in a cold voice.

Grimmjow sat with his arms on his knees as he watched impatiently while Inoue healed Kurosaki. But not fast enough for his liking; he wanted to fight Kurosaki immediately. But not until he was full strength of course. It needed to be a fair fight, both of them full strength, and then he would prove who was the strongest. Himself of course, he'd make that strawberry see that once and for all. But the little brat with a lisp was pissing him off, crying about Kurosaki's condition. "SHUT UP!" He finally yelled, scaring the brat into silence. "…you're so frigging loud, kid!...Yap like that one more time, and I swear I'll blast you apart!"

"…Yes sir…" Was her much subdued response. She looked terrified, and for some reason he felt the need to reassure her.

"Just be quiet and she'll fix him. Be quiet and watch."

"Who…who would do such a thing…" The woman was saying, as if to herself; but he answered anyways.

"It's Ulquiorra." She turned to look at him with wide eyes. "It's what he does. I'm not sure if he even realizes it, but whenever he takes an interest in his prey he always punches a hole in his exact same location. I'll teach him…" Now he slowly stood to his feet.

"I'll teach him what happens, when he messes with someone else's prey!" He vowed, his fist clenched at his side. Then he, Inoue, and the brat were all distracted when Kurosaki groaned, and turned to look at him underneath Inoue's shield.

"Nell…and…Inoue…?" He seemed shocked, but conscious. The girls simultaneously began to greet him, but he put his foot down on such sentimental nonsense.

"Shut the hell up you two! If you have time to talk, then hurry up and fix him!" He demanded impatiently. Kurosaki looked at him before stating the obvious and asking why he was there. Grimmjow was annoyed with all this useless talking.

"Shut yer mouth and get fixed! The only reason I'm here is to settle things with the uninjured you!" He informed his rival, and the woman looked horrified.

"Grimmjow! So that's the reason you're making me fix-…!" he cut her off, getting close to being pissed off.

"Shut up I said! I'm allowing you to fix this guy who was close to being dead! Stop complaining! Just hurry up! It won't take long before Ulquiorra realize what's going on and comes back! Before that I'll-" But he never had a chance to say what he'd do.

Ulquiorra appeared suddenly behind him, his visage cold as usual, with a bloody bundle in his arms. At first he didn't pay any attention to the bundle and was beginning to sneer at the white faced emo when he suddenly realized that he recognized the reiatsu pulsing very faintly from within the bundle. "Aoiko!" He exclaimed, surprised, and very, very angry.

"Ulquiorra, you filthy bastard! What did you do to her?" He seethed as he launched himself into the air with every intention of wresting the pitiful bundle from said bastard's arms by force and then cutting his head off. He was superseded by the white faced 4th Espada's expedience of simply throwing the bundle at him. Grimmjow swore colorfully and caught the bundle as gently as he could and landed back on the ground, glaring hatefully at the Espada above him. He thought he had hated that freak before, but now he realized he had not even known the meaning of that word. Now, he hated. He loathed. That freak had hurt his baby sister, he was gonna die. He Sonido'd to Inoue's side, thrusting the bundle at her with a snarled "Heal her or I'll kill you", before launching himself once more at Ulquiorra, ignoring the stupid woman's gasp of dismay although his heart echoed that very sound.

"It was not I who damaged the girl." Ulquiorra's lowly spoken cold words stopped Grimmjow short.

"Who then?" He snarled.

"Aizen-sama was very upset when you took the woman without his permission. Very upset." Was all that Ulquiorra said. Grimmjow was shocked. Aizen-sama had…? His lips curled back in a snarl. This had probably been intended as a warning of what could happen to him if he were to disobey another time. But the problem was, Aizen-sama had been purposely kept in the dark as much as possible about how deeply he cared for his baby sister. He would not take the intended warning and slink back with his tail between his legs. No. He would not return at all. As of the moment he had learned that Aoiko's pain was caused by his hand, Aizen-sama was now and forevermore his enemy. Even if it meant joining Kurosaki, Grimmjow would kill the Arrancars' 'God'.

"Is that right." He spoke flatly, it was not a question. He stared levelly at the 4th Espada as he lowered back to the ground, ignoring the noise from the woman and Kurosaki behind him. "Why did you bring her here? Did he tell you to bring her here?" He asked slowly, the wheels in his head spinning. Did Aizen-sama…no…Aizen. He no longer was worthy of any respect from him. Did Aizen intend her harm to be a warning?

"Yes, and to tell you-" Ulquiorra started to answer but as soon as the word 'yes' left his white lips Grimmjow was already Sonido-ing towards him, shoving his hand up to his hole, and sealing him within a Caja Negación. He'd break out within a couple hours considering his reiatsu, but it would serve to hold him for now.

After returning once more to the floor of the tower he turned around to face a shocked half-healed Kurosaki –now on his feet albeit a little unsteadily- and Inoue ripping open the wrapped bundle and pulling out a pitiful body. His eyes narrowed into slits and his hands curled into tense fists and he Sonido'd to Inoue's side. Kurosaki saw his movement as a threat and moved his Zanpaktou to defend Inoue. While somewhat impressed with his reaction time he was not in the mood any longer to fight the orange haired teen. He blocked the blade easily and thoughtlessly with his hand and looked down at Inoue and his sister.

"Not now Kurosaki." He snarled; all his attention on his baby-sister's bloody face. "Can you heal her?" He asked Inoue in a slightly less gruff voice then usual.

"Yes." Inoue responded without the slightest hesitation, her face determined despite the tears flowing down her cheeks. Kurosaki looked very confused as Grimmjow knelt to help Inoue pull the rest of the bag off of the smaller girl. "The Caja Negación is used to seal away lesser hollows and Arrancar, but it won't hold Ulquiorra for more then several hours." He explained to which Inoue nodded, most of her attention on Aoiko.

"Oh! Aoi-chan…" She murmered in destress, seeing the extent of the damage. Grimmjow felt his reiatsu spike with his rage when he too saw the damage.

"Aizen will die for this." He vowed in a very angry snarl.

"What-the hell!" Kurosaki started to ask in annoyance and anger as he turned to Grimmjow and Inoue when he suddenly saw the smaller Arrancar girl.

"Aoiko is my baby sister." He managed to grate out between his teeth as his vision begin to swim in a film of murderous red. "…Aizen… punished her for my bringing the woman here without his permission." He explained to Kurosaki, guilt now beginging to eat at him. This was his fault…

Aoiko had always been small, slight of stature, and to him, the most beautiful creature in any of the worlds. She was only 5'0" tall, and she was delicate with a good figure which had him constantly on the watch for any leering Arrancar. She was not as well endowed as Halibel or Inoue, but better endowed then Lilinette, somewhat like those treacherous bitches; Loly and Melony. Other then her femenine traits she looked a lot like him, pale skin, electric-blues eyes including the darker teal markings underneath that his had, teal hair (altough several shades darker then his), sharp teeth, well muscled body. Her hair was a little longer then chin length in the front and closly cropped in the back. Her hollow mask fragment was a spikey plate on the right side of her forehead, part of it trailed down her cheekbone in front of her ear. She even dressed like he did, same style of shirt an all. The only thing protecting her modesty was a leather band around her breasts, with straps that went up to her neck, attached around a tight band around her throat. (AN/ Think Jack from Mass Effect 2)Her hollow hole was centered on her sternum.

Now her mask remnents had been callously ripped off her head, she was missing her left eye, her right arm, and she was cut all over the place. She was mottled all over her body with viscious looking brusies, most of her ribs were broken, and he knew she must be bleeding internally. Her stomach was ripped open, he could see her intestines. But even more distressing was the sight that both her hips were dislocated and broken, and the conentations that injury raised made him feel so ill he almost threw up right then and there. She looked pitiful, and his heart lurched. He had failed her so terribly…he was wretched.

"I should have protected her…I'm her brother…" He almost moaned, his hands at helpless fists by his sides. Even while he had been musing, Inoue had already begun to heal the girl, her eyes determined, her face grim, her entire being focused on the smaller girl. Her poor broken form was partially obscured by the goldenrod barrier that Inoue held over her, but the condition she had been in would forever be seared into his retinas. He felt more then saw Kurosaki come stand by his side, and when he turned to glare at the boy he was shocked by the pain in his brown eyes.

"I have sisters too." Was all he said. And Grimmjow felt then that they were kindred in that if in nothing else. Kurosaki protected his sisters, loved them. As Grimmjow loved his.

"Yours haven't been tortured because of something you've done." He remarked bitterly, knowing it was true. Kurosaki paused, then replied.

"No." But there was no condemnation in his voice. No pity. Just remorse for the state of his rival's little sister. Grimmjow knew that he was thinking of his own sisters then. Thinking of them in this state.

"Gri-…" The chocked sound drew his attention down immedietly to his sister's face. Her eye was open and she was staring up at his general direction. When her eye –cloudy with pain- cleared and she saw him, her bloody lips twitched into a smile, and he knew it must have pained her to do so. "Grimmy…you….you're…alright…" She could hardly raise her voice above a whisper, and her eye was filled with tears of joy. She was not thinking about her own condition in the slightest. This more then anything else drove him nearly to tears. He threw himself down beside her.

"Don't talk. Let the woman heal you." He told her, distress making his voice cold and curt. She didn't seem to mind. Her eye darted towards Inoue, although she could not quite move her head to see the woman properly. She then returned her attention to his face, her face emotionless now. She stared at him for so long that he was worried that she was angry with him. Then she looked at Kurosaki beside him. She seemed to size him up for a moment. Then her attention turned to Inoue.

"Let me up." Even when speaking in a rough whisper, her voice was still calm and demanding. Inoue twitched, her eyes lept up to the girl's face, her eyes wide in a panic. Grimmjow guessed he looked much the same, Kurosaki sure looked startled when he glanced at the carrot-top.

"Hell no!" He growled. "Stay down, brat." He snarled, leaning over Aoiko to stare into her eye. She met his gaze calmly, and he saw that her jaw was locked and chin firm. She was in a stubborn mood, he almost groaned. Damn her. Why was she so difficult?

"Aoi-chan! You can't move!" Inoue exclaimed in a panic before he could even open his mouth to reprimend his sister.

"We…can't…stay here. Aizen-don-"

"Don't say that!" He snarled before she could even finish that hated syllabul. "He does not deserve a single honorific after what he did to you Aoiko! None! We are defecting!" He informed her, his voice white-hot with hate. She looked at him blankly for a moment before continuing as though he had not interrupted her.

"Aizen will know where we are. We…need to leave…" He voice got weaker even as she spoke and her resisted the urge to slap her.

"Not until I heal you." Inoue said, suddenly firm, her eyes hard. Kurosaki and he both looked at her with varying degrees of shock. Aoiko did not appear to hear her, and in fact tried to sit up.

"Aoiko!" He snapped, and she stilled. "Let her heal you enough so that you don' bleed out at least!" He finally added as a negotiation. She stared up at him, and then relaxed against the ground and closed her eye. Already her mask was repaired, she had stopped bleeding so badly and he could no longer see her internal organs. She had both eyes again, and he hoped that vision would be returned as well. But, even through the barrier, she was still so pale, her features so drawn. But gradually she looked better and better, and he felt relief flow through him. She would live. She suddenly opened her eyes-both of them- and looked straight into Inoue's. Inoue stiffened, obviously startled.

"I'm fine. Heal your friend. Then we need to leave." She informed Inoue coldly, her eyes brooking no argument. Inoue drew back, her hands pulling to her chest.

"But-"

"Come Ori-chan. We don't have time…to heal me fully…I am no longer near death. You may do as you wish to me when we are safe." Aoiko's voice was softer now. The barrier faded away, the fairy-things went back to the woman's hair. Grimmjow was already knelt by his sister.

"Stupid brat, let her heal you all the way!" He growled.

"Not enough time. Someone will be coming… he would have sent someone if Ulquiorra did not return with you." She paused. "He may have sent….Nnoitra…Tesla." She sat up and stared into the distance, her face unreadable. He followed her gaze, his eyes dark.

"Was he one that hurt you?" He growled, rough and savage. He didn't mean all the injuries, not one person had done all that, it must have been all the Arrancar, or at least five of them. He was refering to the rape. Aoiko did not answer and he felt hate twist in his gut.

"Ichigo." She demanded. Inoue looked undecided for a moment, looking around at the three of them. Then she nodded, but as she wasn't looking at his sister, Grimmjow thought she must be nodding to herself. She picked up Aoiko (which shocked he and she both) and placed her near Kurosaki and himself.

"If you would please sit…I can heal all three at once." She told them with a determined expression. Aoi was looking up at the woman with wide eyes, he figured he must look much like she. He sat down after a moment, resisting the urge to pull his sister into his arms. After a moment of hesitation more, Kurosaki joined him, on Aoi's other side. Inoue looked very pleased with herself, and then the goldenrod barrier was over the three of them, and although there was some strain in Inoue's face now, she looked content.


AN/ I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! The next is finished, I do not have a word program currently, but I'll try and hand write out another chapter...or something. So the third chapter may take a little time. But the next will be up within a week. So this story will flow more. XD Please read and review!