Again I want to thank those who reviewed the last chapter: Konoha's Storyteller, gagboy, Zexion's Girlfriend, ThierryMyst, Hime of the Rain, Karin, and Himiko!

I didn't think I would get to chapter three today, but what do you know? I have! This chapter came out more to my liking. I hope it'll be of your liking too.

Disclaimer: Everyone wishes they could own Bleach, so we can have the Arrancars/Espadas live. Ggio and Ulquiorra were two of the best! Along with Grimmjow, Szayel, and so many others... it's a shame they died. Poor Stark and Halibel will be next, no doubt. Along with Barragan. Truly sad. They shouldn't have died. Well, Grimmjow we're unsure of yet and so far Stark and Halibel and Barragan are still alive! Probably not for long, however... -sigh-

Ahem, please enjoy.


Chapter Three: Trouble?

"Vega-san, I wanted to—eh?" Orihime stared as Ulquiorra entered the room, hands tucked away neatly inside his pockets and wearing his usual emotionless mask. Followed behind him was the same old servant, rolling in the same old cart. She kept her gray irises on the door, wanting to see if Ggio would be entering next with his trademark grin. He didn't. "Ulquiorra, where's Vega-san?"

"He is none of your concern. Now eat,"

"He's my new caretaker…" she trailed off.

He gave no expression at this. "Second caretaker – when I am away on important missions."

"Oh," she tried to hide back the sadness that snuck into it, knowing he might question her about why she cared so much for the younger Arrancar. If he finds out that Vega-san brought me what I asked for he might remove him as my caretaker. Without further more questions, she took her seat on the sofa and took small bites of the mush that sat in the bowl. Holding back a cringe, she tried her best to eat the whole thing without coughing it back up in pure disgust.

Ulquiorra watched this take place, almost seeming as if he were going to raise an eyebrow. This time he didn't even need to threaten the woman to eat her food. His eyes narrowed as he thought about the last two visits Ggio Vega had made when delivering her food, making certain that she ate. Could he have done something to her, hurt her mentally or physically? No, if he had he knew Aizen-sama wouldn't take too kindly to it. And he would never go against Barragan either. So then how come she didn't hold up a small fight? It didn't make sense.

Not after that entire refusal she had given, after all the threats he had made to make sure she ate. It had become a ritual where she denied, he threatens, and she ate. This time they didn't have to. She, without another word, sat and started to eat. Did Ggio Vega threaten her? Had he mentally hurt her, abused her – knowing well that she wouldn't tattle-tell on him nor put up a fight. Did he take the chance of doing so, knowing he might get away with it?

"I'm done." Orihime broke through his thoughts as she placed her hands neatly back in her lap, not at all making eye contact with her captor. He still didn't move from his spot as the servant wheeled the cart out once more. He stood there, staring at her with his jaded eyes and studied her posture. Slowly, carefully, she lifted her gaze up to his and tilted her head to the side in confusion. Right when she opened her mouth to speak, he turned on his heel and walked out.

Gray orbs opened and closed as she blinked a few times.

Finally letting out a sigh, she stood from the couch and walked towards the center of the room, turning herself so she could look out at the moon once more.


"Cuuhlhourne next time you decide to blow the kitchen up," Ggio growled through clenched teeth at the taller, muscular Arrancar, "do us all a favor and blow yourself up with it!!" He and Findor stood in the hall, looking in where the kitchen had been.

Cuuhlhourne stood atop a few pieces of giant boulders, hands placed on his hips. Angrily, he turned his head to glare at him. "That's what happens when you deny my beauty!"

Rocks stumbled as Nirgge emerged from underneath, shaking his head to rid the extra tiny pieces of rock. "You mean by destroying the kitchen?!"

"What is this?! What is this?! What is this?!"

"What does it look like!" Ggio growled at the new arrival, snapping his head towards him and baring his white teeth. "Cuuhlhourne figured that he should destroy the kitchen just to prove how ugly he is!"

"That's not why! It's because you two," he quickly pointed at him and Nirgge, "kept insulting my magnificent looks!" He tossed his hair to the side and held his head high, thick lips pulling up into a smile. "It is so sad that no one here can see that." Waiting until he could no longer, he opened his eyes to look at his audience.

Avirama scratched the back of his head, bored suddenly by the whole event that was taking place. "Fighting about that again? I thought it was settled that you are hideous. And now you four are fighting again?"

"I came in at the wrong time." Findor stated plainly.

"How dare you call me such a foul word, Avirama Redder, how dare you!" Cuuhlhourne shook his head, causing his wavy locks to fly around his head and gaining a few tangles in the process. "My beauty can't be appreciated here!" A huff escaped past his huge lips. "As I've always said, you're all jealous."

"And like I said, the human woman is better on the eyes compared to you." Ggio hissed. "Now clean this mess up!"

They turned their eyes to him.

"What do you mean?"

"You are not the boss of us, Ggio."

"Say I'm beautiful!" Quickly their attention turned back to Cuuhlhourne, narrowed eyes aimed at him. "… and then I'll clean this place up."

Ggio rolled his eyes. "I have to check on the human. You four are in charged with cleaning up the kitchen." The shorter hollow started walking past the hollow with black hair, covered in red tattoos. "Now get to work."

Without waiting to hear an answer from either of them, he sonido to the one place where he could get a little help from a certain pink haired madman. After all there was no way he was going to let the precious princess get away with that comment she had made at him from their previous encounter. And besides, it wouldn't hurt getting a little taller. Or would it? He shook his head as he appeared in front of two large white doors, pounding on them with one fist until one slowly opened.


Hours seemed to pass on by yet she could have sworn it had been years. It was so boring being in this room with nothing to do. When she was first brought here all she did was stare up at the false moon that shone over Hueco Mundo. Next she had remembered trying to play 'hide-n-seek' waiting for Ulquiorra to enter with her breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He did not have enough patience to 'find her' and simply ordered her to come out or he would hurt her friends. Third step she tried carving pictures into the wall with the spoon she had kept from one of her meals. That failed obviously, not even leaving a scratch.

A few more failed attempts happened.

Orihime ran a hand through the greasy orange locks of her hair, flinching at how gross it felt. I never asked Ulquiorra if I could shower… then again the thought of bathing never seemed to enter my mind when I arrived here. The girl thought, remembering that her focus was on how this was going to save her friends from harm.

Knowing them however she knew deep down Kurosaki would try to find her, to rescue her. And she wanted him to, she hated being in this nightmare. She wanted to be back with them, wanted to feel belonged and cared about. Not like some forgotten doll that was sealed away in a glass case. Not like some tool that would be taken out now and again just to do its one task, than placed back away in the depths of the drawer.

She touched her hairclips lightly, feeling slightly comforted by them. At least I have these…

"Enjoying your caged view, little birdie?"

"Eh!" She turned around locking her gray orbs to his golden irises. "Vega-san you caught me off guard…" He didn't say anything nor gave her a look that said 'Oh, I'm sorry'. "Um… Vega-san, I'm really sorry for what I—hey, you're taller!"

"Really now, are you sure?" Sarcasm was dripped all over that.

She nodded as he came to a stop in front of her, and she noticed that her eyes were at the level of his chin instead. "You grew taller! You had a growth spurt didn't you? Lucky, I wish I had a growth spurt!"

Ggio didn't seem to look so pleased, but that was because he had asked that pink haired freak to make sure the woman was leveled with his chest. I guess this will do for now, he thought as he kept his firm gaze on her. Orihime stared back at him waiting for some sort of comment to come out of his mouth. "I just came in here to see how you were doing. Now I'm leaving—"

"Vega-san do you have a bathroom in Las Noches?"

He froze. Crap, he thought getting the wrong idea; don't tell me she's on her… her…

"I really could use a shower."

Holding back a sigh of relief, he grinned. "Why woman, I didn't know you were that type of girl."

Orihime blinked, not fully understanding. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Vega-san."

"If you wanted to have se—"

"What? Oh gosh, no not like that!" Her whole face turned red as if she were a beet. "I… I did not mean it like that! I mean I really need a shower because my hair is really greasy and I don't like it when it's super, extra greasy!" She waved her arms up and down as if to prove her point. "And I just need five minutes washing it!! While you stand outside and wait for me!! I won't do anything to try and escape, I promise!!"

Ggio threw his head back and laughed, not able to contain it any longer. She only turned redder at this. After a few seconds of his laughter bouncing off the walls, he calmed down and grinned at her. "Fine, follow me. And remember that you gave me your word that you wouldn't run away."


"How far is the bathroom?" She asked as they turned at another corner.

"Not far from here. Don't tell me you're getting tired." Right when he noticed her opening her mouth to make a response, he turned to stand in front of a door and pushed it open. "Here we are." He announced, stepping inside and turning on the lights.

Orihime poked her head inside, eyes growing wide as saucers. "This… this is the bathroom?" She questioned aloud, mostly to herself. The room was like that of a bedroom, and in the center was a tube with boiling water. "Um… Vega-san is the water really hot?"

"No it's not." He closed the door and leaned against it, watching her with his bright gold eyes. "Well, go ahead." He smirked as her face turned bright red again. "What's the matter?"

"V-Vega-san, I don't feel comfortable."

He tilted his head to the side with an innocent look on his face. "Why don't you feel comfortable?"

She lowered her head and gripped the fabric of her dress. "Could you please stand outside while I bathe? Like I said, I won't try anything to escape and I doubt I'll be able to." Her voice was a soft murmur where if he was a human, he was sure he wouldn't have heard her. Good thing he wasn't some weak creature anymore.

"Fine, I'll stand guard. Just hurry up, woman." He opened the door and took a step forward. "Towels are in the cupboard in the far left corner of the room." With that he exited the heated room and closed the door behind him.

"Ggio,"

He turned his head to watch as Choe walked towards him with ease, swinging his long arms lightly as he walked. "If this is about the pickled plums, Nirgge ate the rest of them." The Arrancar informed him, even though he knew perfectly well it was Orihime who had finished it off. "Findor should be getting more, just have some patience."

The Arrancar he spoke to gave a firm frown. "I was informed that his majesty has a mission for us."

Ggio pushed himself off from the door, only with a little too much force. "Alright, tell me what this mission is and I'll go and finish it!" He yelled at his fellow Fraccion, grinning that same old trademark grin.

A small scream sounded behind him and a splash was followed next.

Ggio turned around, staring into gray eyes. "What's the matter with you?"

Orihime blinked at him, lifting one arm out from underneath the cloudy water and at him. Her face was flushed – either from the heat or the door crashing down and having him stare at her as if it was natural seeing her soaking in the tub. "That's the matter! You busted down the door!"

He casted his eyes down to stare at what used to be the door. Then he casted them back to stare into her eyes again. "Calm down, no one can see you anyway. The water's too cloudy to even tell what's below it."

She flushed even more. "I don't care. What happens when I need to get out?"

"Then get out."

"I'm not doing that when the door is knocked down."

"I'll stand guard, I said that already."

"How do I know you won't take a peep?"

"What did you say!?"

"I asked you, how do I know you won't take a peep?" Orihime repeated the question while trying to hide the blush that was creeping up to her cheeks. "Or what if someone walks by and decides to glance in? What then?" She wailed sinking further into the warm water. "I'm going to be stuck in here and shrivel up like some little old lady and die!"

She let out a scream as Choe ducked his head to look in, past Ggio's shoulder. "I told you!"

Ggio turned his attention to the giant, punching him in the face which made him fall backwards. "Don't look at her when she's like that!" He turned his attention back to her, seeing that she had sunken even further. "Alright already, I'll put the door back up! Just stop screaming at me, woman!" Without further warning, he lifted the door and placed it back into its rightful spot. "Geez, what a handful she is."

The sounds of a rocks stumbling down something made him change his attention to Choe, who had been sent into the wall and causing it to crack and a few places to crumble.

"What are you lying around for? Get up and finish the task his majesty gave you!" He snapped, watching as Choe slowly rose to his feet and stared down at him with his strange, creepy eyes. "I have to wait until the woman is done bathing before I can go."

Choe, without a word, turned and headed back down the way he had come.

Once he left, Ggio left out an agitated sigh and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "She really is troublesome."


I believe Ggio can be powerful against Choe! Because he's just that awesome!! Ahem, sorry. I just really like Ggio Vega. Stupid Soifon should have been the one to die (no offense to any Soifon fans).

My beta reader is slowly turning over to Bleach. She wants to see what Ggio and the others are really like. So hopefully she'll become a Bleach fan too! And a Ggio Vega fan. Basically a fan of the Arrancars/Espadas. Have to wait and see what happens as time passes. I just hope she does. Ahem, enough of my blabbering!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please review?