A/N: Check out the fic 'Reversal' by Flow-of-Life. It's a really great Ulquihime one-shot that I just love. It's in my favourites :)

Chapter 10 - Reunion:

He had never really hated weakness in others. Some people were just stronger. He'd have to be an idiot to think the world could work any other way. Even his Fraccion, who he had witnessed working slavishly to evolve, just did not have the capacity for it.

There were a rare few in existence who had managed to claw their way to the top. It was a mammoth task, fuelled by instinct and sheer willpower. Those who became Vasto Lorde were so few and far between that one meeting another was almost unheard of.

And then Aizen came fucked it all up. Suddenly, the power that had taken some centuries to accumulate had been reduced to the plaything of any lowly Hollow whom Aizen took a shine to. The hybrid Arrancar ran amuck. The Vasto Lordes and Adjuchas were once again prey.

Until Aizen gathered them into one tidy little group and offered them all the one thing that they craved; evolution.

Most of them had, by that point, found something to obsess over. After all, what else could such creatures do at that point, when their growth had come to a halt. Aizen had used these obsessions to coax them into accepting his rule. Harribel, with her incessant desire to protect those bitchy Fraccion of hers, and Szayel Aporro with his demented need to discover and pick apart knew things. They had all evolved to a point where they wanted their power for a reason beyond instinct.

But Grimmjow knew he was different. Perhaps his personality had been one of a beast before death, because he still wanted power for the same reason as before; to be stronger.

Power for power's sake. He didn't want to rule the world like Aizen, or protect someone or any of that crap. He just wanted strength to be strong. The strong could do anything, he didn't have to think so far ahead as to what he wanted his strength for. Grimmjow would make decisions on the fly about that sort of thing. He had wanted to save the Princess in that moment and his strength had allowed him to. He had wanted to kill Kurosaki and his strength had...well, almost allowed him to.

He had no goals, per se. He simply wanted to be stronger than everyone else. Power was currency in his world, and for the rich, the possibilities were endless. To destroy whatever he wanted, and, if he were feeling abnormally charitable, protect whatever he wanted. He wanted to be able to watch the world burn and laugh because he had lost nothing in the flames. Everything he needed he already had. Freedom. Destruction. Independence. Power. That was what drove Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez forward.

And yet now he found himself surrounded by circumstances totally and completely out of his control. He was stuck with following Ulquiorra if he wanted to live, he was stuck with Ulquiorra's human pet, and now, damn it all to hell, he was stuck with a pathetic mess of a woman he had actually once respected.

Neliel Tu Oderschvank had been an impressive specimen. Grimmjow could appreciate a good looking woman when he saw one, even if he had never been particularly interested in chasing tail when he had more important things to do. She had been stronger than him back then, something which inevitably irked him but which he didn't take personally, unlike Nnoitora. After all, he had regarded it as a temporary circumstance. Grimmjow was confident that he would be stronger than them all one day.

A poised, intelligent, beautiful woman was never something a man should sneer at. Women like that were just another reason to gain power.

Of course, he had still rejected every offer of friendship, every gentle smile, every worried look if he was injured or feeling particularly ill-tempered. He would never in a million years accept anyone's pity and women like that were also a dangerous distraction, especially if they happened to hold the upper hand.

The situation had changed drastically.

He sat on the edge of the princess's bed with his elbows resting on his knees, watching the scene before him with a dispassionate expression that gave away none of the disgust he felt inside. Beside him, Ulquiorra stood and observed in silence. Grimmjow had never before imagined a scenario where he might willingly work with Schiffer, and yet there they were, a clearly united front of male solidarity in the face of female hysteria. Oddly enough, for once he was grateful for the man's stoicism. In a moment of clarity he pondered if Ulquiorra felt the same way, judging by the way he had gravitated to Grimmjow's side.

Internally, he gave a snort of disgust.

Neliel and the princess were on the floor between the two beds. Orihime was trying to comfort the half crazed woman who sat with her knees pulled up, hiding her face. Her hands clutched her head and she rocked back and forth, her sneakers twisting against the cream shag carpet. Orihime rubbed up and down Neliel's back and she said desperately, "Nel-chan, please, tell me what's wrong! I can't help you if you don't tell me..." the Princess hesitated and sent Ulquiorra a blatant plea for assistance with her eyes. Grimmjow half expected the heartless bastard to ignore her, just to watch her squirm. But in a rare display of mercy, Ulquiorra blinked at the human and slowly turned to Nel.

"What do you remember, Neliel?"

Nel clutched her head harder, rocking back and forth and it appeared she had no intention of answering. Grimmjow felt himself grinding his teeth. What a colossal fucking waste.

But then Neliel shuddered and began to speak in a shaky, terrified voice, muffled by her knees.

"Nel doesn't...Nel means...I don't...know. Nel remembers - I remember everything. But it doesn't feel like Nel's memories. Nel doesn't feel like...I'm not her." Her head shot up to face the two men, and Grimmjow's eyebrows rose at the sight of the familiar scar across her face that had certainly not been a part of the faux body's design. He could clearly see the tears in her tortured eyes. "Nel is not Neliel. Nel is just...I'm just..."

She began to sob. The princess's face mutated into that despicable expression of pity that he loathed so much and she pulled the weeping woman into her bosom and continued rubbing her back. She sent the two silent men a helpless look. Grimmjow could almost condone her pity, given that he felt something unsettlingly similar for the former Espada.

"Neliel," Ulquiorra began, stepping forward. Grimmjow narrowed his eyes up at him, curious to see how he would handle the situation. "It is clear that it will take time for your mind to adjust. I suggest you calm down. Hysterics will not help you recover."

Grimmjow, despite himself, couldn't help but agree.

After a while Nel sniffled and dragged her face to blink tearfully up at Ulquiorra. Grimmjow despised the fear, and more so, the hope in her eyes. "Ulquiorra-sama thinks Nel - thinks I will...get better?"

Ulquiorra stared down at her calmly. "It is inevitable."

Nel hiccuped softly. "But I'm so...broken."

Grimmjow suddenly found his already prominent hatred for Nnoitora grow. Ulquiorra sighed impatiently.

"You lived with the mentality of a child for years. It's natural that even after regaining your memories you would have difficulty connecting to the woman you once were."

As if realizing that Ulquiorra's ability to remain sensitive to the distraught woman's needs was fast fading, Orihime cut in. "It will just take some time, Nel-cha...er, Nel-san."

Nel whimpered with big, uncertain eyes. Grimmjow watched her slender nose wrinkle as she sniffled, her face seeming so naked without her estigma. Sensing his gaze, she made eye contact with him. She searched his face as if trying to discover the answer to an equation . At first Grimmjow only saw the trembling little girl who he had come upon when taking the Princess to heal Kurosaki. Snot and tears and quivering lips.

And then he saw her. It was only for a second, but the old Neliel stared up at him and smiled that smile. "Okay. Nel will try."

The 'Princess Tracker 2000' was met with slow, uncertain applause as the bicycle helmet lit up with flowers, ponies and various other overtly feminine things the moment the buckle was clicked into place under Tatsuki's chin.

Urahara gave an enthusiastic whoop, seemingly oblivious to the bland, longsuffering looks he was receiving. He slapped his trademark fan against his palm, grinning out from under his hat at his audience. They sat in one of the back rooms of Urahara Shoten around a large round table. The Vizard had opted to remain in their warehouse until they were needed, or, as Hiyori had so graciously put it, "Whenever you idiots actually have a plan".

So those who remained included Uryuu, Sado, Tatsuki from the humans and, as usual, Renji and Rukia. Toushirou had gone off to Hueco Mundo again with Mayuri's retrieval team in search of Rangiku.

Notable additions to the team thus included Byakuya and Kenpachi. The former sat silently between his sister and Renji, doing his best to ignore the genuine and rather uncharacteristically girlish excitement Rukia displayed upon viewing the helmet's new look, while the latter sat hunched over beside Uryuu, listening to the running commentary of the pink-haired child on his shoulder as she explained why the helmet was 'weird and lame'.

Uryuu had at first been hesitant about the two newcomers, who he was pretty confident had very little interest in Orihime's well-being. Their reasoning had also been fairly questionable. As Yachiru had so cheerfully explained, 'Ken-chan' wanted to find 'Big-boobies' because she was resurrecting the Espada and there might be a good fight in it for him.

Byakuya had stared at him dispassionately while saying that someone needed to supervise the team, given the danger of the potential threat, as Kenpachi had already made it clear that he wasn't there to babysit. Uryuu was uncomfortable with working with the man, but Rukia's supportive nods and sideways glances that clearly expressed nothing but admiration and, if his eyes weren't deceiving him, adoration, convinced him to keep his peace.

Uryuu would never understand the strange relationship between the adoptive siblings, but he had an inkling that there was more than just obligation driving Byakuya to help them. Regardless, he chose to be grateful for the help.

And so they were all cramped in Urahara's shop, aware that two young assistants were outside eavesdropping on their every word and that Tessai was in another room tending to Ichigo. Uryuu had never missed the orange idiot's presence more.

Rubbing his temples against an oncoming headache, he leveled Urahara with a tired look, gesturing to Tatsuki's head. "So this means that Inoue-san is in the real world?"

Urahara gave a disturbing flash of teeth.

"Correct! All that remains now is to pick a direction and go!"

Uryuu stared at him blankly, his thought process coming to a screeching halt and even more exhaustion washing over him. "What do you mean by 'pick a direction'? You mean this thing isn't going to help us track her?"

Urahara frowned, seemingly put out by the question. "Well, no. Only if we get within a certain range."

Uryuu twitched, his fingers drumming impatiently across the table. "She could be anywhere on the planet though."

Urahara raised his hands defensively. "It was the best I could do, Ishida-san, of that I can assure you. Regrettably, Arisawa-san is only a human. Were she a Shinigami, her ability to sense Inoue-san would be far greater." He patted the crestfallen girl on the shoulder. "But as she is the only one with a spiritual link, we simply have to make do. Her range with that device on is far more powerful than anyone at this table when regarding Inoue-san."

Uryuu inhaled slowly. The man was right, of course. Tatsuki was giving them a huge advantage already. Just not as big an advantage as they needed. He heard the familiar beeping of Rukia texting and frowned at the small woman. She was staring intently at her phone, fingers flying over the keys.

Renji leaned over in front of his captain to peer down at her. "What are you looking at?"

"Just checking something..." she muttered before looking up triumphantly. "Aha. Soul Society picked up a garganta opening in Karakura yesterday."

"What?" Uryuu exclaimed, "Why the hell wasn't this reported to us?"

Rukia frowned down at her screen. "Because it says nothing was detected coming through. It was passed off as a glitch in the system."

Uryuu's mind began to race, and he shared a glance with Urahara. The candy salesman rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes shadowed and calculating. "When was this?"

Rukia looked down to check. "Approximately 16 hours ago."

"So last night then..." Uryuu's eyes widened.

"That's when I first sensed Orihime!" Tatsuki cried.

"That can't possibly be a coincidence," Uryuu concluded. "Kuchiki-san, get us the exact location of where the garganta was detected."

Rukia nodded and continued her dextrous texting.

Uryuu turned to Urahara and blinked, noticing something for the first time. "Where is Yoruichi-san?"

Urahara smiled enigmatically, his fan flipping open to cover the lower half of his face. "Why, she's off doing what she does best."

Uryuu rolled his eyes, realizing he probably shouldn't voice his opinions out loud in the present company. He would just be grateful that someone was out there keeping an eye on the Soul Society.

"Got it," Rukia suddenly called out, giving the exact co-ordinates of the garganta. Uryuu frowned.

"That's not too far from here."

"It's not too far from anywhere. This town is puny," Renji interjected.

Uryuu nodded. "Still, it's close to Inoue-san's apartment."

Tatsuki frowned, looking slightly ridiculous under her new headgear. "You think she went back for something?"

"It's worth looking into," he replied

"In that case," Sado piped up, "We might want to consider putting out posters. Like for missing persons. It could give us a lead if anyone's seen her."

Tatsuki nodded enthusiastically at the idea. It felt like they were finally getting somewhere. But Uryuu was reluctant.

"I don't know. We'd have to file a missing persons report with the police. Do we really want to drag humans into this mess?"

Tatsuki's face fell.

To everyone's surprise, Byakuya spoke up. "I believe it is worth the risk. If Inoue Orihime is bringing back the Espada, any human lives lost in the search for her are paltry compared to the potential death toll if she is not found."

Urahara sighed. "Unfortunately, I agree with Byakuya-san. And with Orihime's powers, anyone lost could possibly be brought back and their memories could be modified."

"You can't modify the memory of an entire town though," Rukia pointed out. "If we're going public with this, there's no going back."

Uryuu pushed his glasses up his nose, realizing they needed to make the tough decision. "You're right Kuchiki-san. When we get Inoue-san back, having announced her as a missing person will have a dramatic effect on her life. But we don't really have many options here. The most important thing is getting her back safely."

"We can always come up with a story to deal with the fallout later," Urahara said.

Uryuu nodded. "Right. So, Kuchiki-san, Sado-kun and Arisawa-san, you three go investigate Inoue-san's house. I'll go file the missing persons report. Everyone else..." he scratched the back of his neck, "I really don't want to say this, but you guys split up and search for clues."

"I get it, Ishida!" Rukia exclaimed seriously, thumping her fist into her other hand. "You're just like those cheesy detectives from TV."

Uryuu scowled. "I said I didn't want to say it!"

Orihime watched Ulquiorra leave the room with thoughtful, contemplative eyes. He had been surprisingly helpful. Ulquiorra was apparently the kind of guy who could breeze into a situation of panic and just calm everyone down with his never-ending wealth of logic and calm reasoning. She admired that. When other people panicked, she had a tendency to get flustered with her inability to help out.

She turned to Nel, who was getting to her feet and she followed suite, stretching her limbs gratefully. Nel had been freaking out for quite some time, and she was extremely thankful that she finally seemed okay.

Blinking curiously, she took note of the one person who had yet to leave. Grimmjow watched the pair of them like a hawk, with lazy, predatory eyes. No, not them actually. Just Nel. She cocked her head upon realizing that Nel had noticed this too.

"Grimmjow-kun," the former Espada greeted shyly, the first words she had said to him. Orihime frowned in confusion.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes, and she realized he must have also noticed how Nel addressed with far more familiarity and far less respect than she had Ulquiorra. "Yo," he greeted.

She watched with a stunned expression as Nel approached him on shaky legs before throwing her arms around him. Grimmjow froze. His eyes widened and locked with Orihime's from over Nel's shoulder. She looked on helplessly, her brain running a mile a minute and trying to figure out what on earth was happening. Nel had never indicated that she was friendly with Grimmjow - in fact, she had seemed terrified of him! And yet now she was hugging him the same way she had hugged Kurosaki-kun, with unhindered affection.

No, she thought, it was actually just plain weird to see anyone hugging Grimmjow. Ulquiorra was more huggable than Grimmjow, in her opinion, which was a pretty good indication of just how not huggable Grimmjow was. It was like watching someone cuddle a shark, albeit a rather stunned looking shark.

She listened, slack jawed, as the voluptuous woman practically straddling Grimmjow's lap began to mumble into his jacket. "Nel is sorry she forgot you...I let Itsygo fight with you and didn't even realize I was losing my friend." Nel buried her face in his neck. "I'm so sorry for everything..."

A heavy sadness fell over Orihime. Nel had been friends with Grimmjow once, and she had forgotten it? She couldn't imagine the pain she'd feel if she had forgotten Kurosaki-kun, met and befriended Grimmjow, cheered Grimmjow on as they fought and then later remembered Kurosaki-kun again. It would tear her apart.

Grimmjow finally seemed to remember himself, because he shoved Nel's form away and got to his feet. She didn't stumble, but rather stepped back gracefully, staring up at him with a gentle smile. Orihime could see her fondness for the ill-tempered man clearly. He clearly didn't appreciate the sentiment and scowled. "So we're starting on this shit again. How many times have I told you that I'm not your friend?"

Orihime winced and expected Nel to be offended or depressed, but instead she simply smiled secretively, folding her hands coyly behind her back. "Nel remembers."

Grimmjow, seemingly giving the woman up as a lost cause, grimaced and stalked out of the room.

Orihime gaped after him before turning to Nel in shock. "Nel-san! He seemed really mad! You and Grimmjow-san...are you really friends?"

Nel sighed and tossed her hair over her shoulder before collapsing onto Orihime's bed and stretching her limbs. She peered up at Orihime through thick lashes. "Could you close the door please?"

Orihime obediently shut the door and then came to sit beside Nel on the bed, eager for answers. Orihime had never really been apart of 'girl-talk', mostly because the men her friends were after didn't hold her interest. But Grimmjow? Now this she had to hear. She wagged a finger at Nel firmly.

"I have to know!" she said, mimicking all of her female friends, "Spill!"

The older woman placed her chin on her hand and grinned up at her. "Well, Grimmjow-kun is more than Nel's friend. Nel remembers that now. Nel loves Grimmjow-kun."

Orihime's jaw dropped, this piece of information far juicier than anything she had expected. Although truthfully, she struggled to comprehend anyone loving Grimmjow. He was charming the same way that spiders were cute. "Wha-seriously? Does he know?"

Nel rolled her eyes back and forth thoughtfully. "Hmmm...probably not."

She recalled the way Nel had hung all over Kurosaki-kun, smothering him with her affection, as well as the way Nel had given Grimmjow similar treatment earlier. She scratched her head sheepishly, pondering on the idiocy of any man incapable of picking up on those signals. "Um...how?"

Nel laughed a sweet, tinkling laugh. "I know what you're thinking. Nel isn't subtle. But Neliel was very loyal to Aizen-sama. She was dedicated to serving him. Neliel believed that fraternising with another Espada would go against Aizen-sama's will. So Neliel never allowed herself to show her true feelings." She closed her eyes. "And Grimmjow-kun never did like Neliel...he didn't like anyone who was stronger than him. I think he sometimes mistook my affection for pity."

"But Nel-san..." Orihime fidgeted with the hem of her shirt awkwardly. How exactly could she go about saying this in a way that wouldn't make her sound like a jealous idiot? "I thought you like...Kurosaki-kun?"

Nel twisted her mouth from side to side. "Oh, yes...Nel does love Itsygo, obviously." Orihime winced at the emphasis, "But Nel only started loving Itsygo because she forgot Grimmjow-kun. Itsygo is a lot like Grimmjow-kun." She giggled. "Who knew I had a type!"

Orihime spluttered, "Wha-no! Kurosaki-kun is nothing like Grimmjow-san!" she cried, despite having thought something similar herself earlier.

Nel snorted. "Then either you don't know Itsygo, or you don't know Grimmjow-kun."

Orihime bristled slightly at the offhand accusation. Nel had known Itsy - dammit, Kurosaki-kun! - for less than a week and she assumed that she knew him better? She forced herself to calm down. Nel was clearly a very nice person who probably hadn't meant to offend her at all. Besides, she had indicated that she no longer held interest anyway. She laughed sheepishly to pass of her discomfort and decided to ask another question that was plaguing her.

"What about...Nnoitora-san?"

Nel stiffened, her eyes snapped open. Her face grew serious. Her entire tone of voice lowered and suddenly she sounded like the woman she appeared to be. "Nnoitora was like a child who insisted on playing with fire. I couldn't just sit back and watch him burn to death, no matter how much he claimed to want it. He wasted the opportunity Aizen-sama gave him on fighting because he didn't know any better. I wanted to save him from himself. Nothing more."

Orihime blinked and suddenly Nel's expression was one of youthful innocence again, leaving her feeling dizzy at the transformation. Nel laid her head down on the pillow with a sleepy smile. "But Aizen-sama and Nnoitora aren't here anymore. I can do whatever I want now. Nel just wants to have fun with her friends..."

Orihime stared down at her, instinctively running a hand through her aqua hair as her maternal instincts kicked in. Nel just looked so sweet and innocent, curled up on the bed. Orihime eyed her scar and wanted very much to protect her at that moment. "Do you want to go back to sleep, Nel-san?"

Nel nodded against the pillow. "Will you stay with me, Orihime? Nel is scared to be alone with the memories..."

"Of course." Orihime laid down beside her, blinking in surprise when Nel grabbed her around the waist and cuddled up against her. Slowly, Orihime smiled. She really did like Nel-san.

Rangiku ended up traveling with her companion deep into the bowels of Hueco Mundo. They had eventually arrived at a forest made of black crystalline trees, and the pair of them walked through the eerie place in silence. The occasional, soul-wrenching howl echoed through the perpetual night air, and more than once Rangiku was certain that she saw red eyes peering at her through the darkness.

Whatever creatures inhabited the area avoided them though. She would often hear the skittering of claws as something caught sight of them and fled. The place made the hair on her arms and neck bristle, and instilled in her a deep sense of unease. Hueco Mundo truly was a miserable place.

Her companion was silent the entire way, but Rangiku never once got the feeling that she was being led into a trap, though the thought had occurred to her. Or perhaps she was just clinging to the hope that he was taking her to the one person she longed to see, and that hope as powerful enough to overshadow all logic.

Rangiku was not the type of woman to lose her will to live over a man, but the wounds of loss were still deep. It had barely been three days and she had granted herself the right to wallow in her misery. She had spent months thinking of him as a traitor...and had lost him just as he proved her wrong. So the thought that he might still be alive was so tantalizing, so breathtaking, that she would willingly and even happily bet her life on it.

The ground they were walking on began to slope down. Slowly at first, but then on a steep incline until the black maw of a cave came into view. The crystalline trees grew closely along the cliff face in front of them, but the route to the cave was clear.

Her companion came to a halt in front of the cave and turned to her, finally speaking.

"He's in there. I'll wait outside and give you two some privacy."

She nodded and set determined eyes on the dark entrance. She crossed the threshold, her eyes adjusting to the sight of a tunnel made of grey rock. She followed it as it curved to the side until she eventually heard the crackling sound and saw the telltale flickering light on the walls of a campfire, although this light was strangely green. She then came to an abrupt stop as she heard his voice. She felt as if someone had hit her on the head with a brick house.

"Where did you go, Espada-san? You've been a while."

Shakily, she forced herself to continue and realized that her footsteps had been echoing rather loudly around the cave. He had obviously heard her approach. She rounded the curve until the cave came to an end and she saw him, just getting to his feet against the wall furthest wall. A small green fire was lit at his feet, made of crystalline twigs, and it sent ghostly shadows over his white frame.

She would never be able to put into words how her heart felt when she wrapped her arms around him that day. How was it possible to feel numbed by shock, pained by sorrow and giddy with love and joy, all at the same time? She didn't know or care, all she knew was that he was alive and solid and real, and she was so happy and terrified and angry and heartbroken and...

He smelled the same.

Her lips were on his before he had the chance to say a word, likely before he even had the chance to realize who she was. She pressed her mouth against him hungrily, desperately, as if she wanted to sink into his very being. Her trembling hands clutched at the cloth over his spine. She was aware of how tense and unresponsive he was, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that he was there.

"Gin," she sobbed, realizing that she was openly weeping like she had the day she had lost him.

Her head fell against his chest and she cried like a wounded animal, howling with pure, raw emotion. He had always been slender, but he had never felt more frail. She felt like he might disappear or crumble into nothing, so she gripped him with her considerable strength, unwilling to let him leave her again.

Never again.

It was only when she heard him gasp in pain that she realized the white cloth she was clinging to was covered in blood. His blood. She pulled back, staring up at his face through her tear-stained vision. His eyes were wide open, drinking her in the sight of her. She appraised him similarly and she almost broke down against him one more.

He looked the same as he had back then. His silver hair was streaked with blood. He was still in the same white uniform, and his right arm was still gone. Aizen had ripped it off.

"Are you...real?" he asked. She nodded tearfully.

"Rangiku..." He spoke her name slowly and with awe, as if testing it out. Then his shock seemed to wear off and he pulled back from her slightly, taking a moment to compose himself.

"What are you doing here?"

Rangiku was forced to pick an emotion then, and she chose rage. The sheer heat of her gaze seemed to evaporate her tears and she pushed him violently, forcing him to stumble back against the cave wall.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?! You let me think you were dead! I couldn't even begin to count the number of lies you've told me, but that one makes me want to kill you!" She turned away, grabbing the hair at her temples lest she attack him further in his clearly injured state. "God, Gin! Do you know what a wreck I've been? You didn't even try and get a message to me, did you? Your friend in the cloak had to drag me out here for you! Why, Gin? Why would you...leave me like that?" She hated how her voice came out as a pathetic whimper.

She heard the rustle of cloth and single arm curled around her waist, pulling her into him. She felt her anger subside and joy envelop her once more. Her hands left her hair and lowered to grip his arm. It had been so long since he had held her. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time...had they still been children? She felt him nuzzle her neck, inhaling her scent.

"You were never supposed to know..." he murmured into the shell of her ear, sending goosebumps over her flesh.

"But why?" she whispered, staring into the hypnotizing green flames of his campfire, "I know about the issues with Soul Society, but why wouldn't you tell me? Did you think I would turn you in?"

"No. I wanted you to...move on. I'm an evil man, Rangiku. And a failure. You deserve better."

She shook her head. "I know plenty men better than you, Ichimaru Gin, and I've never wanted any of them."

She heard him chuckle lightly. "That's because you're stubborn."

She pulled free from his grip and turned around. She jabbed her finger in his chest pointedly. "Damn straight. And now you and I are going to have a serious talk."

Nel left Orihime sleeping peacefully and shut the door behind her with a quiet 'click'. She inhaled deeply and stared down at the last door in the corridor, behind which she knew Ulquiorra to be. She had pondered over her decision to search him out for a long while before deciding that she needed to say a few things to him.

She knocked on the door, internally preparing herself for the conversation to come.

"Enter."

Nel pushed the door open and stepped into the dark room, lit up only by two monitors on the walls. She ignored the writing on the screen - she hadn't gone there to spy - and shut the door behind her.

Ulquiorra turned in his chair and his luminous, cat-like eyes glowed up at her. He sat with his legs crossed and his hands folded neatly on his lap. Nel was in awe of his grace for a moment and simply stared.

"Yes?" he said blandly after she had been silent a moment too long. Nel couldn't help herself. He was a magnificent specimen, powerful and dignified. And he had let her, a pitiful, broken excuse for a person, live.

"Ulquiorra-sama," she said softly, reverently, coming to kneel at his feet. She held his gaze, wanting him to see the earnestness in her eyes. "Nel..." she gave an impatient sigh at her speech impediment. "I will never be able to express my gratitude. You spared my life after I betrayed the Espada." She bowed her head. "Nel is forever in your debt!"

She could feel his eyes on the crown of her head. It was the ultimate gesture of submission, to bow ones' neck to an Espada. But Nel felt no shame or fear, only loyalty and thankfulness.

"I trust you will not make me regret my decision," he said in reply.

Nel sat back on her heels and raised her apologetic eyes to meet his. Completely sincere, she said, "I'm afraid I cannot promise that."

He narrowed his eyes at her and Nel felt a shiver of fear rush down her spine. "Really..."

Ulquiorra was very menacing, she realized. Though she had once ranked above him, she felt no authority over the man. Quite the opposite. But there were certain things that she would simply be unable to do, no matter who asked it of her. "Nel is sorry. But if you've brought me with you with the intention of having me kill innocents, you will either have to kill me or let me go."

There was a pregnant pause after this declaration. Ulquiorra's marble features did not shift one bit, but she felt as if somehow his scrutiny became more intense after every second that passed. She had to resist the urge to fidget nervously.

"I see," he finally said. Ulquiorra spun away from her, making her exhale with relief, and his long, pale fingers began to type away on the consoles before him. "I have no intention of making you harm anyone," he said dismissively, "Though you should realize that the Soul Society will never accept you. Should they attack, I highly recommend you defend yourself."

Nel nodded sadly. She knew already that any chance she'd had of allying herself with Soul Society had died the moment she'd become an unwilling participant in Orihime's kidnapping. Her heart lurched at the thought.

"What about Orihime?" she whispered. Ulquiorra paused, and she could practically feel the temperature in the room drop, although his face gave nothing away.

"What about her?" he echoed.

Nel watched him carefully. "Are you going to hurt her?"

She couldn't be imagining the way his features tightened, the first outward sign of discontent he'd displayed. "That has yet to be determined."

Her face fell. "Are you going to...kill her?"

His eyes slithered down to meet hers and she felt as if an iron hand had gripped her soul. "What if I am? What do you intend to do about it, Neliel Tu Oderschvank?"

She lowered her head submissively. Nel felt terribly guilty. Maybe the old her would have tried to protect Orihime, would have been confident enough to oppose Ulquiorra. But no longer. "Then all I ask is that I not be involved. And that I preferably...do not have to watch."

Ulquiorra seemed to size her up for a moment. He turned back to his work. "Fine."

Nel got up and left the room, wishing she had never brought up Orihime. She was a person who was desperate to protect her friends. And she liked the girl, she truly did, but she just wasn't close enough to her to risk her life. She felt dirty and corrupted.

But that was what she was. Even a Hollow like her, who had no desire to hurt anyone, who desperately wished that Orihime could remain unharmed, ended up choosing self preservation.

Nel leaned back against the closed door. She had lost Dondochakka and Pesche. In the end, no matter how strong she was, she had been unable to protect them. It would be easier to simply not grow attached to those who were too weak to defend themselves.

A/N: Phewph, keeping up with all my plot arcs is a bitch. I hope you all enjoy watching how Ishida and them are trying to track Orihime down - I must admit it's pretty fun for me to write how they interpret the clues left behind by the others. The Gin/Rangiku plotline will have more relevance than just simple fanservice, that I can promise. But more on that later.

I hope you guys like my version of Nel! So she remembers everything about her past, but is unable to connect with it on a personal level. And yep, I didn't beat about the bush with regards to her opinion on Grimmjow - she just flat-out loves the guy. Always has. And I hope none of you will think too badly of her for that last little conversation with Ulquiorra. She's a good person, really, but she's also a Hollow and she certainly aint perfect.

Let me know what you guys think :)