Over the next few days of the voyage, even though Aizen gave the excuse that he was only escorting Miss Inoue everywhere because he wanted to be sure she didn't injure herself again, he really just wanted to get to know the fascinating young woman better.

The only other woman Aizen had ever come across who was as intelligent and interesting as she was beautiful was his own fiancée, Tia Halibel. However, while Tia had mastered the art of a sophisticated, smooth and rather aloof demeanor, Orihime was open, kind and expressive with anyone and everyone who crossed her path.

While carrying on a conversation with (what Aizen considered to be) tiresome, nosy old maids, Orihime looked and sounded genuinely interested to hear their stories about themselves and loved ones. On the other hand, when it came to gossip about other passengers on the ship or celebrities, Orihime would sit back quietly and simply listen until the subject was changed.

Little by little, Aizen was able to pick up small tidbits about Orihime. Her brother had passed away when she was still a young girl and she had been raised by the Arisawa family. Orihime's aunt agreed to an arrangement where Orihime could remain at the Arisawa home, but the aunt would be named as Orihime's legal guardian on all official documents because she would send money to the Arisawa's to help with the cost of raising another child. Orihime had been the maid of honor at two of her friend's weddings, first when Rukia had married Renji and again when Tatsuki had married Ichigo.

When Orihime had mentioned Tatsuki marrying Ichigo, Aizen had heard Orihime's voice falter slightly over the young man's name, which made Aizen suspect that there had been some unrequited feelings there. On the one hand, Aizen wanted to call this Ichigo person a blithering idiot for overlooking the affections of such a marvelous young woman, while on the other hand Aizen thought that the young fool could keep his new wife while Aizen was free to become acquainted with Orihime without restraint.

Also, Aizen learned that Orihime had come on this voyage in order to visit her aunt in Barcelona, who had moved there for her health some time ago. In fact, Orihime had met her aunt only once, on the day she graduated from high school. Her aunt had come to see how Orihime was getting along and to make sure she was preparing for the next stage in life, which Orihime had decided would be getting a job at a local bakery.

With her eyes shining as brilliantly as her smile, Orihime said, "There have been so many wonderful people in my life who have been so kind and loving to me…I just wouldn't be the person I am today without each and every one of them."

Looking down at her hands, Orihime's voice softened as she said, "Sometimes I wonder how each one of them can possibly fit within my heart, but I couldn't imagine life without any one of them."

And that was Orihime Inoue in a nutshell. Living out the saying 'It is far better to give than to receive', which should have made Aizen want to move on to another conquest…only he didn't. Probably because he hadn't truly conquered her.

While he had gotten to know bits and pieces about her and understood all about her personality type from observing her, he was still only an acquaintance. He wasn't someone special to her. He wasn't someone she treasured in her heart…at least not yet. And he had all the rest of the voyage to try and figure out if that was something he wanted to do. Aizen had no doubt that he could do it if he really put his mind to it, so he decided to just take things one step at a time.

The first thing was to make sure he reserved a table for the two of them to share at dinnertime every evening. In her innocence, Orihime never noticed all the jealous and shocked glances sent her way on the first night they shared dinner together. Out of the corner of his eye, Aizen also saw a few envious young men glare daggers at him for snatching up the most effortlessly beautiful women on the entire ship.

During dinner, he made sure to keep the conversation engaging and yet light. While Aizen doubted Orihime would catch on if he began 'smooth talking' her, there was a possibility that someone nosy-busybody from another table might enlighten the innocent young woman, so Aizen thought it best not to give the masses any additional gossip to chew on.

On the day they arrived at Barcelona, Aizen graciously accepted Orihime's invitation to come and visit her aunt.

"I don't think she'll mind having one extra guest," Orihime said with a smile before she frowned slightly and said more to herself, "At least, I hope she doesn't mind. And on such short notice…"

When her voice trailed away, Aizen decided to pull her back from whatever she was imagining as he said, "How about this? You go and talk to your aunt while I wait outside and carefully broach the subject with her. If she doesn't seem put off at having another guest, then you come out and get me. If she wishes to only see you, then I will leave after a few minutes and find something else to do in Barcelona. Sound like a plan?"

Her usual smile returning, Orihime nodded and said, "That's a great idea. All right, we'll do that then."

The trip to the house was pleasant, with Aizen pointing out interesting buildings with historical significance, but mostly Orihime 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over the quaint houses, gardens, town squares, colors, store fronts, bakery shops and smells of food in the air. All too soon, they arrived at the house and Orihime got out of the cab, knocked on the front door and was soon shown inside. Aizen waited out in the cab for a grand total of forty-five seconds before Orihime opened the door and came over with a beaming smile.

Getting out of the cab and paying the driver, Aizen then turned to Orihime and said, "So, I guess your aunt didn't mind at all."

Shaking her head and linking her arm through Aizen's, Orihime led him towards the front door as she said excitedly, "Aunt Kaoru was rather surprised at first to hear that I had made a friend on the voyage, but then she smiled and said that she would like to meet you herself."

With a mock expression of fear, Aizen said hesitantly, "But I don't think I'm ready to meet your family yet. It's much too soon for that kind of thing."

At first Orihime looked extremely puzzled, then her eyes lit up with understanding and she laughed as she replied, "Oh, Aunt Kaoru can seem stern at times, but she's also such a dear, sweet thing. I'm sure you'll love her."

Grinning at Orihime's innocent and mistaken interpretation of his joke, Aizen allowed himself to be led down a short hallway into a plain yet tastefully arranged and decorated parlour. Sitting with very correct posture, delicately clasped hands and properly crossed ankles sat a middle-aged woman who could have passed for Orihime's mother. They both had the same shade of gray in their eyes, only the aunt's were slightly harder to read than Orihime's. Their faces were shaped the same and their hair was of the same kind of texture. The only real difference Aizen could see between them was the stark contrast between Orihime's easily read personality and Aunt Kaoru's more reserved one.

Disengaging her arm from Aizen's, Orihime stepped over to her aunt's side as she said, "Aunt Kaoru, may I introduce you to Mr. Sosuke Aizen? He is the friend from the ship I was talking to you about. Mr. Aizen, this is my Aunt Kaoru, whom I have also talked to you about."

Stepping forward to take her proffered hand, Aizen said politely, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Inclining her head with a small smile, she replied, "I suppose so. You may call me Ms. Kaoru."

Turning her attention to Orihime, Ms. Kaoru said, "If you go into the kitchen, you'll see all the tea things set out just waiting to be assembled. Would you mind…"

"Not at all, Aunt Kaoru!" Orihime said, shaking her head vigorously, "Just leave it to me!" and with that she went in a borderline skipping way out of the room humming to herself.

Shaking his head in amusement, Aizen heard Ms. Kaoru say, "Please, have a seat, Mr. Aizen," which he promptly did before turning his attention back to the woman sitting opposite him.

For a few moments, Ms. Kaoru looked towards the doorway through which Orihime had passed before she asked, "So, Mr. Aizen, how exactly did you happen to meet my niece?"

Briefly, Aizen outlined their initial meeting followed by a few details on how they had been getting to know each other the past few days on the ship.

"And I must say, Ms. Kaoru, that I don't think I've ever met someone as engaging or intriguing as your niece. She is not only beautiful, but intelligent and compassionate as well."

With a knowing smile, Ms. Kaoru said, "She is also quite an innocent young woman."

Inclining his head, Aizen said, "Yes, I have noticed that about her as well, which only adds to all that I find fascinating about her."

"Fascinating, eh?" asked Ms. Kaoru, "Is that the way you see my niece? As an interesting person to simply observe? Or do you see her as something else?"

Leaning forward slightly, Ms. Kaoru said in a matter-of-fact tone, "My niece may not read very many newspapers and keep up with gossip or those kinds of things, but I do, Mr. Aizen. While I don't know much more than what the papers have told me and what few things I've been able to observe today, I do know that you are engaged to be married to a wealthy, beautiful and powerful woman."

Taking a deep breath and looking straight into Aizen's eyes, she continued, "I'm not going to try and 'scare you off' or anything like that because I doubt there's anything an old woman like me could do to intimidate someone of your power and resources. However, I hope you will listen to me as someone who has the best interest of her niece and only living relative at heart.

"Doubtless at some point Orihime has mentioned her six closest friends and how four of them got married to each other. I also would not be surprised if you managed to piece together that Orihime got a little torn up over her friend Ichigo falling in love with the girl she loved better than a sister."

Looking down at her hands, Ms. Kaoru said, "I was never really a part of Orihime's life and only saw her on the day she graduated, but, like you, I only had to take one look at her to realize exactly what kind of a girl she was and in that moment I loved her like a daughter and wished that I had actually moved her so that she could live with me. However, on the other hand, Orihime probably wouldn't be the same girl she is if she would have moved, so things worked out for the best."

Raising her gaze once again, she said, "Anyway, on the day of her graduation, it didn't take me long to figure out that this Ichigo boy had asked to begin courting Tatsuki. So here she is on what should be a joyous day and one where she can celebrate her friends' accomplishments as well and she's trying to fight back her tears."

With a small smile, Ms. Kaoru reminisced, "I'll say one thing for Tatsuki and Rukia, they are two of the best girls Orihime could have for friends. They had known from the beginning about Orihime's feelings for this boy and when it became clear that he didn't know anything about them and that he wasn't going to return them, those girls were right there beside her, holding and comforting her."

Shaking her head slightly, Ms. Kaoru said, "As ridiculous as this might sound, my niece does not do things by halves. When she commits to something, she will work herself to the bone to make sure it is done on time. When I heard that she loved that boy, I knew that it was not just a passing fancy or a simple case of a 'boy-crazy crush'. She really and truly had fallen in love with him and so when he gave his heart away to someone else…it tore her up inside for a long time. However, for the sake of her friend, Orihime somehow managed to keep it hidden well enough and move on as quickly as she possibly could."

In a voice barely above a whisper, Ms. Kaoru finished, "Whatever your intentions are, Mr. Aizen, I simply ask you to tread carefully. Orihime's heart has been torn apart more times than a young woman her age should have been. For the sake of one who loves her dearly, please…please…"

Before he could stop himself, Aizen felt himself reach across the table to grasp the woman's hands between his own as he said sincerely, "I understand."

Later on, Aizen would think back and wonder what had caused him to react in that way. Maybe he had been caught up in the moment and simply done and said the first thing that occurred to him. Maybe he had thought it would be the best way to continue playing his role in front of the aunt. No matter the reason, later Aizen would look back on that moment as one of the major turning points in his relationship with Orihime.