Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

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Ulquiorra fought the urge to tear his hand out of his mother's grasp. It seemed that she had taken his sudden change of attitude as an excuse to hold his hand when they walked to and from school. He had already insisted that he didn't need to be walked to school, yet his parents ignored what he had told them, and so his mother walked him to school. And she would for the rest of the year, since she was now working part-time.

His mother though, seemed oblivious to her son's displeasure, and kept walking along side him, holding his hand. When they finally arrived at school, she bent down so she was eye-level with him.

"Did you remember all your stuff? Your pencil, notebook-"

"Yes, I remembered everything." the young boy said

His mother nodded, and then hugged him.

"Well then have a good day, Ulquiorra." she said, and hugged him. Ulquiorra felt something inside of him stir. One part of him wanted to push her away roughly and tell her what a piece of trash she was. Another part wanted to smile and return the hug. He was confused about what to do, so he simply stood there and allowed her to hug him, unmoving.

When she let go, he turned his back on her and walked off.

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Ulquiorra listened carefully as his teacher gave them their first project of the school year. It was quite simple. All they had to do was select a new book and read it, and then write a summary on it. And for extra credit they could make a list of things they liked about the book.

"And remember class, pick out a book that you think you'll like. It doesn't have to be very long either." Mrs. Ishida said as the bell rang and kids crowded at the door. Ulquiorra hurried into the hallway, but stopped when he was just a few feet away from the classroom. The books that his grade read were far below his reading level. He had learned how to read by teaching himself and going over his father's medical books and old reports. As a result, he was at high school level, and he didn't feel like reading something stupid and below him. He didn't want trash.

He thought of going to the library, and then remembered his mother was outside waiting for him. She would only slow him down, and would probably want to wait until tomorrow to take him to the library. He didn't want to wait for a book. So, he made the decision of going the opposite way, in the back of the school, and headed off towards the public library.

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Rukia bit her lip as she waited for Ulquiorra. What was taking that boy so long? School had been out for nearly half an hour, and she hadn't seen any sign of her child. She was standing by the school's main entrance where she would always pick him up. There was no way Ulquiorra had gotten lost. And he couldn't have stayed after class this long, could he?

By now there were no students or parents, and Rukia was just standing there by herself. She was starting to fear that something horrible had happened, but told herself to stay calm.

'I must remain calm. I can just call Orihime, and ask her if Ulquiorra's staying after class.' Rukia thought as she flipped her cellphone open and dialed Orihime's number. She waited anxiously as it rung, until her friend picked up.

"Hello? Rukia?" Orihime asked

"Yes, hello Orihime. I'm waiting for Ulquiorra, and I was just wondering if you were keeping him after for something…" she said, trailing off.

"What? You mean you're still waiting? I saw him leave with the other children half an hour ago." the woman said

"What?! Really? On no…this isn't good." Rukia muttered. Not good was an understatement. Who knows what could happen to her son when he was on his own? Thugs or a hollow could attack him. Someone off the street might try to kidnap him. He was in terrible danger, especially for such a young child.

"Oh no! Is there anything I can do to help?" Orihime asked

"No, it's fine. I'll find him, but thanks for telling me about this." Rukia said, and then hung up. She started to dial another number and waited until the person picked up as she started walking away from the school quickly.

"Hello?"

"Ichigo, it's me. Ulquiorra's missing." the mother said as she broke out into a run.

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Ulquiorra disregarded the odd stares people were giving him as he searched in the teens section of the library. He picked out five books, all by the same author. It was hard to balance them all, especially since they were thick books, but he managed to make his way back to the check out desk, where he deposited the books.

The librarian frowned as she looked at him over the stack of books. She watched the child pull out a library card and hand it to her. She wordlessly accepted it, and then started to scan the books. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the boy pulled out a dollar bill, and waited for her to finish scanning them.

"I'd like to buy a book bag." he said, handing her the bill. The librarian nodded, took the bill, and exchanged it for a recyclable bag off the rack. She watched the child scoop the books neatly into the bag, and then start to walk off after she gave him back his card.

Ulquiorra ignored the burning pain that resulted from carrying all the books. Of all the times that he would actually need help carrying something…this had to be the time. But he just ignored it, and focused on getting home. He secretly hoped that he would be able to get home before his mother and father. That way he could have the house to himself, and just be alone in total peace and quiet. No listening to his mother run the vacuum cleaner, which was painfully loud. Or his father watching TV, and turning up the volume so loud that Ulquiorra could hear each and every thing that was said under his floorboards. Or their couple like bickering, which always, always gave him a headache.

No.

None of that. If he could just get home before them…even fifteen minutes would be nice…

Ulquiorra walked quickly, ignoring the pain now forming in his leg from the book bag bouncing on his side. He hoped it didn't bruise, even though he knew it probably would. He kept going, not slowing down or stopping, but only breaking into a run when he saw the stop sign closest to his house.

When he reached the clinic, he was panting and out of breath, but was glad to see his father's car wasn't in the driveway. Ulquiorra went through the gate, and pulled a spare house key out of his pocket, and opened the door. He peeked inside.

"Hello?" he called out. No one answered.

He stepped inside, and looked around. No one was here. He was all alone.

Ulquiorra sighed in relief, and went up to his room, finally removing the bag and its contents. He had checked out the entire 'Twilight' saga, including another book by Myers, called 'The Host'. He was curious about Twilight since it was about vampires, or at least had some in it. One of his favorite novels about vampires were 'The House of Night' series, even though they made the main character into a whore. Yet he still enjoyed reading the books for some reason, even if Zoey acted like trash sometimes, and Heath was just a stupid human idiot.

Ulquiorra then remembered seeing a brown package on the kitchen table. He went back downstairs and saw that it was still sitting there, wrapped in brown package paper and tied with a white string.

He saw that there was nothing written on it. No address or anything. It was just a package.

Ulquiorra was about to turn his back on it, but he couldn't help but wonder what was in the package. He should've turned his back on it and gone back upstairs to read, but his curiosity got the best of him. He took a knife from the kitchen drawer, and cut the strings, letting the brown package paper fall off, revealing a fairly small cardboard box taped shut.

He picked the box up and rattled it, listening for noise. He heard none, except for a soft thump. He grabbed the knife once more and used it to cut a line in the tape holding the top of the box shut, and then used his fingers to pry the rest open as he set down the knife again.

Ulquiorra wasn't expecting what happened next.

"RUKIA!!!" someone yelled in an annoying male voice, and he was blinded by something soft.

"Rukia, I've missed you so much!" the same person exclaimed, and whatever was holding onto his face and blinding him tightened its grip. Ulquiorra stumbled back, ripping the thing on his face off and throwing it across the kitchen. His heart was pounding and he grabbed the knife, ready to defend himself as he looked around the table.

What he saw was a plush lion lying limply on the smooth tiled floor.

Ulquiorra blinked in shock. Was he seeing right?

Though the boy started to doubt his vision even more when the lion plush sprang up and looked around. And then it started talking.

"Rukia? Where's Rukia?" it said, and then caught sight of Ulquiorra holding the kitchen knife loosely, slack jawed, and eyes wide in shock.

"Who the hell are you? Wait a minute…Kisuke…he told me something about Ichigo and Rukia having a kid. I suppose you're Ulquiorra?" the plush lion asked, and then hopped up on the table.

"Hey kid, you can put the knife down. It's not like I'm gonna try to kill you or anything." it said, walking and looking around the kitchen. When Ulquiorra finally found his voice, he asked "Who are you? What are you?"

"Hm?" it turned around to face him, "I'm a mod-soul. A modified soul put in the body of a stuffed toy." it said as if that were completely normal.

"I'm sure Ichigo and Rukia have told you loads about me and how I helped them in their adventures as shinigami! We fought against hollows, Bounts, arrancar, and even Soul Society itself! Haha, I remember when-"

"Shinigami? What do you mean? That's…those…are Death Gods…" he whispered. Something felt familiar about the word 'shinigami'. Something disgustingly, disgustingly familiar. So did the word arrancar, though he didn't feel the same way about it. The word felt familiar in a more…comforting way.

"Whada mean kid! Don't you know what a shinigami is? Have you even heard of a zanpakuto?!" the mod soul asked, waving its arms around and frowning at him.

"No." he said, and then looked at the mod soul, "Tell me. I need to know. The words sound…familiar."

"Man, Kisuke didn't tell me anything before he sent me here! And through the mail too! Jeez…but anyway kid…" the mod soul started to explain everything, and told Ulquiorra a story. Most people who would've listened would've been touched by the heroic feats of Ichigo Kurosaki and all his ventures, but Ulquiorra just grew sicker and sicker, and a hatred for the man he called father grew too. By the time the mod soul named Kon had reached near the end of the story, he started to slow down.

"And um…the end." Kon said nervously, but Ulquiorra knew better. His eyes narrowed at the mod soul.

"Not everyone 'lived happily ever after, the end'. You still never told me what happened to Ulquiorra Schiffer. I doubt my namesake came from him by coincidence or because my pathetic trash-like father felt sentimental when he saw me." Ulquiorra growled, grabbed the lion and squeezing him tight.

"Um…well…uh, that Ulquiorra-"

"Died right? Ichigo Kurosaki killed him, rescued that incompetent woman, and left Hueco Mundo safely." Ulquiorra growled, and Kon just nodded.

"Uh…yeah…" Kon said nervously…inching away from the child when he let go of him.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. He could faintly…faintly remember. That idiot wouldn't give up…and then suddenly…he changed…and…was hell bent on protecting that piece of trash…and then…stabbed Ulquiorra…and used a cero…and then…something else happened…and they watched him die. His teacher. His father. The Quincy. They watched as he faded away, suddenly helpless.

They watched him die. And one of them was responsible for it.

And the one man who killed him…he had been reborn as that man's son. O the irony…and…that stupid trashy shinigami…the Kuchiki…was his mother.

He felt an intense hatred for them, and hoped that they would die. Ulquiorra looked outside the window. It was dark outside, and yet they would still probably be looking for him. Stupid trash.

"Kon…did you say that you could disguise the reiatsu of someone?" he asked, already forming an idea in his head.

"Yep. It was a modification done by Kisuke-Hey, why did you wanna know?" the mod soul asked suddenly.

"Because I want you to take me to see Kisuke Urahara." he said, and grabbed the mod soul off the table, and started to walk towards the door, when he heard a click sound.

The door.

Ulquiorra desperately wished for his sonido as he ran upstairs, and into his room. He hid in the closet and whispered to Kon "Hide my reiatsu signature-I don't want them to know that we're here, or in the house at all."

The mod soul frowned in the dark, but just nodded and did as he was told. Kisuke had told him to bring the kid back to the shop…God knows why though. This should've been a job for Ririn or Noba or Kurodo. Why did he have to get stuck babysitting the former fourth Espada.

They both heard voices downstairs, and Ulquiorra silently cursed himself for leaving the packaging on the table.

"Hey, what's this? A package…but it's already been opened. Ichigo, you don't think…he was here, do you? Maybe he's still here?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

'No…just go away…I'm not here…I left, so go away.' he silently thought, briefly closing his eyes, as if willing it.

"I…I don't think so. I can't feel his reiatsu signature anywhere here, just traces of it. He must've come home earlier, and then left." the shinigami said, and he could hear him walking upstairs.

Ulquiorra hoped he wouldn't come into to his room, but didn't really mind as long as Kon kept hiding their presence. He wasn't sure what he would do if the orange haired man found him. Fight? No, that would be beyond foolish. He wouldn't stand a chance against him, not when he was in this weak, human, child's body. Ulquiorra was more than sure he could outsmart Ichigo Kurosaki…but fight? And especially with the Kuchiki by his side…

What if they did find him? Should he lie? Though Ulquiorra disliked lying, he wasn't about to tell his 'parents' that he remembered some of what happened, especially the dying part. How would they react when they knew that the fourth Espada had fully reawakened? Would they kill him? Lock him away? Hand him over to the thirteen court guard squads?

His thoughts raced as he heard his door creak open. The trash was coming in.

"Is he in there?" Ulquiorra heard the Kuchiki ask

"No." his 'father' replied, and then walked out of the room. Though Ulquiorra was suddenly suspicious. Why would the man just come and go? Even if he didn't feel Ulquiorra's presence, he should've at least checked the room more thoroughly to see if he was hiding somewhere. Ulquiorra knew something was wrong, because he knew that the trash wasn't that foolish.

'What's going on?' he wondered, and stood there in the dark, clutching the mod soul to his small, thin figure.

"…Did you feel that?" he heard the Kuchiki ask. Ulquiorra felt anger and panic as he glared at the mod soul, before throwing open the closet door. The mod soul scampered out just before Ulquiorra slammed the door shut and ran to the window. He heard footsteps, both light and heavy, rush up the stairs. Damn, the window was stuck fast or something.

That was when he realized the door was unlocked. Damn.

He ran back to the door, and clicked the lock into place just as someone tried to open it from the other side.

"Ulquiorra! Ulquiorra, open up, it's me, your father!" Ichigo yelled from the other side. Ulquiorra ignored this and ran back to the window, trying to get it unstuck. He finally succeeded just when he hear his father start talking again.

"I'm giving you until the count of five until I open this door!"

So he had a five second head start. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

"One."

Ulquiorra was climbing out the window

"Two."

Now he was on the roof. Damnit, he needed something to land on since he couldn't jump…but what about water pipe? Could he slide down that?

"Three."

He ran over to it and looked at it in distaste, but threw himself down it, sliding down. It stung his hands and made him bleed, but that was inconsequential now.

"Four."

He started to run the second he hit the ground. He wished so badly he could use sonido, or even shunpo…

"Five! Now I'm coming in!"

Ulquiorra was already at the stop sign. He felt like he was running for his life. Maybe he was. Stupid human child's body…what trash.

Back at the clinic, Ichigo had opened the door, only to discover his son missing and an open window. Ichigo cursed under his breath, and then jumped out the window himself in pursuit of his son.