A/N: Won't say much except thank you and I'll let the chapter speak for itself. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Bleach

Nel wrapped her arms around her stomach and shivered. She had just finished up with work and was now waiting for the bus to come and pick her up. The cool air made her chilly but the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach was more the cause to her chills.

"Hurry up…hurry up…" she muttered anxiously.

Today had been a rough day for her and a rough start to the week. Not only was she on her toes all day but various things had happened that left her on edge. She tried to brush it off but when it became too obvious, she feared the minute she had to leave.

Nel glanced over her shoulder and swayed on her feet. She began toying with the idea of just running home as fast as she could or hailing down a taxi cab. She had some money from her tips that day to pay for a cab ride. The more she mulled over it the better it sounded.

"Just run as quick as you can," she breathed.

She took a step out, her leg shaking and when she moved her other leg, they both felt numb. She wobbled slightly before regaining her balance and taking another step. She rocked a bit before lifting her feet to start running when a hand shot out and grabbed her arm, yanking her backwards.

Nel flailed as another hand grabbed her from behind, fingers curling around her throat and squeezing as she was drug backwards. She felt the air being cut off and her hands went to her neck, trying to pry the fingers off. The only noise was a whimper and gasp for air slipping past her lips.

She struggled as she was pulled back into the dark alleyway that was by the bus stop. Her feet dragged on the cement. Try as she might, she could not dig her feet in to stop from being pulled. Before she knew it, she was being slammed into the brick wall of the building, her head almost cracking against the hard bricks. The pressure in her throat decreased as the hand was removed but now her back was throbbing.

White teeth flashed in front of her face and what she had been dreading hours ago, was now rearing its ugly head in front of her.

"Where you running to, Neliel?"

Nel started her work day full speed ahead as the restaurant remained busy all through the lunch hour rush and into dinner. For a Monday, the place was packed, even with the noon crowd gone. Customers flocked in and out, giving her no time to have a break. Her feet were already throbbing and her lower back was starting to hurt from bending over to clean and from carrying heavy trays of food out to the customers.

To make things worse, now one of her co-workers was asking her to take over while she went on a break. The audacity of the other woman to even take a break when she did not have a break since…never. Nel had worked straight through, even skipping her lunch break.

"I mean, you did have Sunday off cause you were sick," the woman threw in her face.

Nel bit her bottom lip and slowly nodded her head, "yeah. Go on, I'll cover."

The woman smiled, "great!"

Nel watched as she walked off and the green-haired woman held back a string of curses that wanted to fly from her mouth.

'One of these days I will really tell them how I feel.'

Nel picked up the extra work load. She had a strange feeling that someone was watching her but she was so busy that the feeling floated off as physical work pain began to take over.

She had her rag in hand, ready to wipe down the table she was working on when something or someone bumped into her, sending her stumbling. She gave a small cry and her hands reached out to steady herself, latching onto the backs of the chairs. The chairs clanked together as her feet twisted around one another. Thankfully she was able to keep herself from falling. By the time she righted herself and turned to see who knocked into her, the person was already gone.

'Asshole.'

Nel shook it off and finished cleaning off the table before heading over to the empty one. She assumed that whoever was sitting there was the one to bump into her. She gathered that much by what her co-worker informed her of. Three tables were in the middle of their meal, another was finished and was leaving and then there was one other table that was still lingering.

Nel made her way over to the empty table and saw the money lying on the table. She looked over her shoulders briefly before sliding the money into her apron. If her co-worker wanted to put her workload onto her then she was going to pick up the money and not share it.

'Huh, what's this?' she thought, her fingers brushing up against a piece of paper.

Her fingers opened the small piece of paper and her eyes skimmed over it before it fell to the table. Her hand covered her mouth and she began to shake.

'No…I must have read that wrong,' she tried to reason.

'There is no way…it just can't…'

Her body began to tremble even more and she screamed when a hand fell on top of her shoulder.

"Geez, Nel!"

Nel clutched her hand to her chest and spun around, staring into the eyes of her co-worker.

"Just letting you know I'm back from my break."

Nel's heart was hammering inside of her chest. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Sorry, you just really startled me."

The woman stared.

"Any tips?"

Nel thought of the money left behind and she could feel it burning a hole in her apron. Knowing who it came from made it cursed and tainted but money was money.

Nel shook her head and took a step to leave, "no, the guy just paid and left."

"Jackass," the woman snorted.

Nel couldn't agree more as she left to tend to her other tables. She did not look back at the other table where the piece of paper was still lying on the table. The scratchy handwriting in black ink, staining the paper:

So nice to see you again. –N.J.

"I'm telling you the truth Tia, I know what I saw!"

"Nel, you have been overworked."

Nel shook her head but realized she was on the phone in the employee lounge room.

"No…well I have but…I wouldn't…Tia it's true!"

She could hear Harribel sigh, "it wouldn't make any sense."

"I thought the protection order was permanent."

"It should be, that's why it wouldn't make any sense. Plus he hasn't been acting the least bit suspicious at work. Creepy as always but then again I don't work in the same department as he does."

"Tia…I don't feel so good…" she said and felt herself began to gag.

"Don't throw up!" her friend cried through the ear piece. "Just take a deep breath, sit down and drink some water."

Nel did what she was told and her feet sang in relief as the pressure was taken off of them.

"I remember that handwriting and he had his initials…he was here, I know it!"

"You didn't see him at all?"

"He was not at my tables. I covered for the girl but when I went to the table no one was there. I was shoved right before going to that table."

Nel shuddered. To think that he had walked right past her without her knowing was unbearable.

"Nel?"

"Oh, sorry."

"Look, if you want we can check out the status of your protection order and go from there."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"He wouldn't dare put his hands on you."

"I don't know…" she bit her lip.

"You can't get off early or anything?"

"I wish I could but we're pretty busy today."

She heard Harribel sigh.

"Okay, just be careful."

"I will, thanks Tia."

"You're welcome. I have to get back to work. Give me a call when you get home."

"Okay, I will. Bye."

"Bye."

Nel stood up and hung up the phone that was mounted to the wall. The long cord hung limply and swayed a little before coming to a stop. Nel stared at the phone, toying with the idea of calling her brothers school to make sure they were okay but she realized that would be ridiculous. She would sound so stupid over the phone. What would she say? That there was a crazy guy that shoved into her and might be after her brothers? They would call the mental institution and have her locked away.

'All I have to do is get through today and tomorrow I can find some time to head down to the police station,' she reassured herself. 'Nothing is going to happen, he can't do anything, it's against the order.'

Nel wished she could take back those words now that the beady black eyes were staring her down. She squirmed, her back rubbing against the rough texture of the bricks. Her gut was telling her all along that something was wrong but she pushed it aside to get her work done. If she had focused too much on it, she would have been fired for not doing what she was suppose to be doing.

"Long time no see, isn't it?"

Nel's eyes snapped shut and she shook her head. Her mind kept chanting 'it's just a nightmare' over and over again but when she felt warm breath on her face and his creepy chuckle, she knew it was a nightmare but it was a real nightmare.

"What's the matter, not happy to see me? I'm happy to see you."

Nel felt a tear slide from her tightly shut eyes and move down her cheek. The chuckling increased to full on laughter and she began to shake even more.

"Crying already? I haven't done anything except say hello and you are already breaking down. Have you become that weak? Such a shame cause I was wanting to have some fun!"

Nel opened her eyes and cringed at how close he was to her. His hands were pinning her against the wall and she knew she would have bruises on her arms in the morning, that's if she made it to see the morning.

"W-what do you want, Nnoitra?"

"What do I want?"

"You aren't supposed to be here…be near me…so let me go!"

Nnoitra gave another laugh, "is that so? That's not what I was told."

"The protection order states-"

"The protection order doesn't exist anymore," he countered back.

Nel's eyes widened, "w-what do y-you mean?"

Nnoitra pulled back a bit from her but his hands remained where they were.

"I had that taken care of. It's always good to have people who owe you favors."

"You can't do that! You're lying!"

Nnoitra released one of her arms and his hand went to his pants, pulling out a folded paper, "don't believe me? Want to see the proof? It's right here, I can read it to you. It's signed and everything. Official document. You know I don't play around with things that are fake. I like everything to be real and legit."

Nel's free arm allowed her to smack away his paper from his hand. Her hand smacked against his fingers, sending the paper flying to the ground. Nnoitra's eyes became smaller slits and he sneered at her in disgust.

"Are you feeling brave now? You feel you can start attacking me?"

Nel's head snapped to the side and her cheek began to sting.

Nnoitra's hand was raised in the air and his fingers curled into a fist as he lowered it.

"Let me tell you something you stupid bitch, we aren't playing by your rules anymore. We're playing by mine. You either follow them or I will end your life painfully but not before going after the ones you care so much about."

Nel's stomach dropped and her throat tightened.

"D-don't you even dare-don't you even think about it!"

Nnoitra leaned down, his face a mere inch away from hers, "then I suggest you start behaving yourself."

"What do you want?"

Nel swallowed the lump in her throat and got control over her breathing. She had to clear her mind so she could out-wit him or at least think of a way to get out of the situation that she was in. As long as she was away from him, it would be for the best.

"What do I want?" he hummed, scratching at his chin.

Nel cringed as he laughed loudly.

"Oh that is too funny, Neliel. You ask me what I want as if you could pay it off."

Nel cried out again as her back was slammed against the brick wall two more times.

"What I want," he sneered, "is for you to die."

Nel struggled against him and tried to pull away but he kept her pinned.

"I am willing to settle for less though," he said and smiled when she stopped moving. "That's if you follow along."

Nel glared at him, "you want me to play a game. My life and my brother's lives are not a game!"

"But games are so much fun."

"You're a sick bastard!"

"Am I? Or are you a twisted bitch that just secretly enjoys it?"

Nel couldn't hold back as she spit right in his face.

Nnoitra frowned as he wiped the saliva off of his face and stared at his hand before backhanding her across the face once again. Nel didn't cry out this time instead she held back any noises and forced herself not to cry.

"I see; that's how it's going to be."

"Just tell me what you want, Nnoitra," she whispered.

Nnoitra pulled away from her and tapped his foot on the ground, "it's simple, I want you to die-"

"But for now, I want you to be humiliated as you humiliated me. I want you to know your place, which is beneath me! I WANT YOU TO SUFFER, NELIEL!"