Thank you to: rabiosarabiosa, yukichan10, Sarah, skycord1990, safa56bmc, Yuzen for reviewing the last chapter. And thank you to everyone who faved/alerted/etc.. You guys are pretty cool.

Here's chapter ten. The fun is about to start... :)

Enjoy!

Warnings: AU plot, slight OOC'ness

I don't own Bleach!

Although she was exhausted, Noa didn't quite feel like going to bed once she got home. It was later than usual, due to her having dinner with Tesla, but there were so many things running through her mind that she settled on the couch and began to sort them out.

The dinner had been nice; she'd taken him to an Indian restaurant near her apartment. She hadn't mentioned where she had been before meeting up with him, and he hadn't asked. Noa had tried her best to keep talking and smiling, but she guessed that Tesla figured something was up.

"You okay?" He had asked, setting down his fork and looking her in the eye. Shrugging, Noa had merely smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

She hadn't liked lying to him, but she knew that he would have freaked out if he knew what Aizen was offering her. Tesla seemed to have protective feelings for her regarding her involvement with the Las Noches division, and while she was grateful for his concern she didn't want him to worry or get involved. It could end up being disastrous on his end. She knew he loved his job; she didn't want to compromise him in any way, even if it meant shouldering these things on her own.

'I promised myself I'd be an adult,' she told herself, sinking back into her couch and closing her eyes. 'Aizen's just going to have to see that I don't want to work for him. I like my job, and I'm gonna stay there.'

But, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself of this, there was that ache somewhere deep inside her that kept reminding her of how much power and profit she was turning down. 'You could go so much further with him,' it said, rising up in her. 'You could be up there with the elite of the elite, the most powerful people in the world. You know you have it in you, and he knows you have it in you. All you need to do is say yes...' Visions of herself at the top, surrounded by riches and power and knowledge beckoned temptingly on the edge of her conscious.

A memory from when she was younger suddenly appeared in her head. She was seven, and was studying with her father. She liked these memories of him the best, when they sat together in the quiet sun room and learned together.

She had just finished reciting a passage in a different language, a special assignment from her teacher. Noa had been in special classes with other young children of her age and social standing, where they were tutored in advanced topics before the rest of their peers. She wasn't a genius, but words and languages came easily to her, so she excelled in those lessons. Her father in turn enjoyed listening and helping where he could. He took pride in that his daughter was smart and advanced for her age, and Noa liked to make him proud.

"You could run the world someday, Noa," he had laughed, ruffling her hair. Her eyes had shone, and even though she knew he was exaggerating, she pictured herself sitting at the top of the world somewhere, a commander with grace and charisma, and suddenly she thought that she wanted that more than anything else. She had grown up surrounded by stories of people with power, and how they came to have that power. Some had been born with it, others had worked hard their entire lives to gain it. And there were others, like Sosuke Aizen, who had appeared relatively unknown and had taken the world by the neck.

'That isn't what this is about,' she told herself again, opening her eyes and standing. 'What honor is there in gaining a position through lies and deceit? I want to claw my way through the ranks on my own talent and blood, not riding through the masses on the gilded remains of others.'

Sighing, she rubbed her eyes. 'I need sleep.' Going to her bedroom, she didn't bother to undress and slid onto her bed, laying her head on the pillows and closing her eyes once more. Trying to block out her mind, she burrowed her face into the pillow, trying to wrap herself in sleep. And yet...

She hated to think about it, but there was a dark something that attracted her to Aizen, in more than just a respectful, awe-inspiring way. No, there was something else there, something she preferred to keep hidden in a tiny corner of her heart. Something she knew could ruin her if she allowed it to get free.

Images of his face and body and scent flashed behind her closed eyelids. 'He's so beautiful...'

Eventually those images focused on his eyes. They had changed so fast, from a rich chocolate to a burning darkness. His eyes were his power, and they were his shield. Noa wondered briefly if they were unbreakable, before slipping into a dreamless sleep.

She woke the next morning, feeling slightly refreshed. Sleeping had done her good, and she was feeling optimistic about the day ahead. Going through her normal routine, she made it to the trains and wasn't even that bothered about standing. 'I should be grateful I'm in this position to begin with.'

Spring was definitely present on the Seireitei Inc. grounds. Blossoms fluttered to the ground in the gentle breeze, and even people's outfits were changing. There was still the uniform business suit, but jackets were off and women wore more skirts than before, along with loose hair. Noa herself had her hair tied back, for she believed she looked older with it like that.

Heading into the Gotei Thirteen building, she made her way to the elevators, sharing space with several other employees heading up the building. Flipping through the calender on her phone absentmindedly, she waited until she stopped on the ninth floor and stepped out.

"Shūhei wants to see you," a voice said immediately, as soon as the elevator doors closed behind Noa. Looking up in surprise, she saw Ikeda, a tall man with a head of mousy brown hair. He was standing off to the side of the elevator, and Noa had the feeling he had been waiting for her there.

"Why?" She asked cautiously, a sour feeling in her stomach. Ikeda looked away briefly, shrugging.

"Dunno. He seems pretty upset, though, so I'd go now if I were you."

Nodding, Noa set her lips in a grim line and made her way towards Shūhei's office. She had no idea why he'd be upset with her; she hadn't done anything to make him angry, had she?

Going up to his closed door, she knocked quietly.

"Come in." Shūhei's voice sounded tense, and Noa dreaded what she'd find as she pushed the door open.

He was sitting at his desk, staring at a sheaf of papers in his hands. Noa frowned, and swallowed roughly. She respected and trusted this man; she hated to think she had done something to release her from his favor.

"Sir? You wanted to see me?"

Nodding his head, Shūhei looked at her with an expression Noa couldn't read. "You know, Ueshima, I was under the impression that you enjoyed working here."

A terrible feeling began to burn in her stomach. "I do, sir," she said hoarsely, raising her head.

"Then why," Shūhei said immediately, waving the papers in the air, voice raising in obvious anger, "Did I have division transfer forms with your name on them waiting on my desk as soon as I walked in this morning?"

Shock filled Noa to the brim. 'What?' Her throat closed in anger. She knew exactly who had done this, and mentally berated herself for not seeing it coming. In her absence of speech, Shūhei continued.

"Not just any division transfer forms," he said, placing the papers on the table. "Transfer forms to move you into the Las Noches division. Tell me, Ueshima, is loyalty really that unimportant to you? Because if it is, I want you to walk out and never come back."

"No!" The force at which she replied made both Noa and Shūhei's eyes widen in shock. "No," she said again, in a smaller voice. "Th-that's not it at all, sir." Taking a breath to clear her thoughts, she then told Shūhei everything that had transpired between Aizen and her yesterday. How he had been the one tempting her to his side through gifts and clever words.

She wasn't sure if he believed her or not, but his frown deepened as her story came to an end. "And I swear, sir, I refused on the spot. I don't want to work for him." An ache in her wrist made her unclench her fists, which were white from being held in a tight ball for much of her speech.

It was quiet for what seemed like a long time. Noa was afraid Shūhei didn't believe her story; she barely believed it herself.

A sigh escaped his lips, and her heart loosened a bit as he tried to smile weakly. "It seems we have a problem, then." Picking up the papers, he studied them. "I really hate that guy..."

Knowing who he was talking about, Noa collapsed into a chair in front of his desk. "Is there anything we can do, sir?"

Another sigh, this one heavier. "As we are now, no," Shūhei replied. "The forms are signed by Aizen, with an official request from the man himself. It's also backed by the signature of his two top advisers. This is as official as it gets, I'm afraid."

Rubbing her temples, Noa resisted the urge to bang her head on the desk. "I'm going over there," she said quietly, "And telling him to his face that I refuse to work for him. I don't care if it kills me."

"It might," Shūhei said dryly. "I'll do what I can here. I'll go straight to Yamamoto with an appeal, if it comes to that. Ukitake and Kyoraku will help me."

Standing, Noa thanked him and left, stepping quickly to the elevator. She fumed the entire way down and through the lobby, shaking with both anger and fear. She was heading back into the lion's den, a dangerous journey for such a slight woman.

It was still early, so several groups of people were still making their way through the courtyard. Noa ignored the flow of people, taking the shortest route to the Las Noches division, whose grounds were a lot emptier than the Gotei Thirteen's.

The stark white interior of the building made her wince, and she cursed whoever had designed the building, heading to the elevator. Pushing the glowing blue button for the top floor, she dusted nonexistent dust and lint from her clothes and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Too soon, the elevator doors opened with a small chime, and she stepped out into the long hallway, heading straight to the large doors she knew led into Aizen's office.

"Hey!" A shrill voice called from a desk down the hall. A pigtailed woman glared at Noa, pink eyes harsh. "You can't be here!"

Ignoring her, Noa grasped the handle of the door, and opened it, stepping inside the cage.

Aizen had been enjoying a hot cup of tea when Loly's voice rang from behind the door. A smirk crossed his lips as he leaned back in his chair, waiting. He knew who was coming.

Sure enough, the doors opened and Ueshima Noa stepped inside. Her eyes were on fire, and her body was tense. Smirk widening, Aizen set down his cup and laid his hands on the desk. "Good. You're here."

The fire in her eyes blazed at the sound of his voice, which was intentionally condescending.

"I told you I didn't want to work for you, sir," Noa said roughly, and Aizen watched as her knuckles turned white as she clenched them. "You had no right to-"

"I was severely disappointed when you failed to contact me after our meeting," Aizen interrupted, long fingers tapping against the wood of his desk. "I couldn't think of a reason as to why you'd refuse such a rare opportunity, so I did you a favor and had you transferred directly. Your things will be moved as soon as I call in the workers."

Noa's mouth opened in mute shock, and Aizen rose from his chair, moving to the front of his desk. Leaning against the polished wood, he crossed his arms over his chest, and he reveled in how she seemed to retreat into herself, gazing at him.

"You see, I get what I want," he continued. "Your talents are merely one thing on a list of many others. And I do not like resistance when it comes to getting what I want."

"But, because I know this all must be extremely troubling to you, I'll give you a choice." Noa's eyes widened in apparent hope, and something deep inside him squirmed. Pushing it back, he gazed at her intensely, counting on the illusions within his eyes to protect and convince.

"Either you work for me, or you don't work at all. Your choice, Miss Ueshima. Choose wisely."

Instantly, all hopes were lost. With that one sentence, Aizen had bound her within all his snares and plans. Noa tried to think as all the anger rose in her throat, threatening to come out as tears. One half of her wanted to walk out, and the other half screamed at her to stay. If she left, there was no future left for her in Seireitei Inc., not even as a janitor. She'd be lucky if she could get hired at a fast food resteraunt.

If she stayed, however, there was a chance, no matter how small, that she could someday return to the Gotei Thirteen, back to the Ninth Division, back to Shūhei. Working under Aizen would be a bundle of nightmares, she knew, but it was better than the other options.

She didn't want to do it; she really didn't. But she had no other choice. He had given her no other choice, and she knew he had been planning this all along. There was no way to refuse Aizen.

To think, everything had been working out okay until now. So much for her optimistic mood.

She looked up, jaw set firmly. "Fine," she hissed. Instantly Aizen's eyes blazed in triumph, and despite herself Noa wanted to drown in their intense color. They drew her in like magnets.

"Excellent." Holding out his hand, he waited for her to grasp it.

Eying like it was diseased, Noa hesitated. 'Is it really worth it?'

The memory of her father patting her head flashed in her head, and she closed her eyes briefly.

'You could rule the world someday.'

She extended her hand, marveling how small it felt in the expanse of Aizen's own. 'They're so soft...' Barely aware of her hand moving up and down, Noa looked up again into the brown orbs, fighting against being sucked into their depths. Promising herself she'd escape, she tightened her grip on Aizen's hand, watching as the fires blazed again.

"Welcome to Las Noches, Ueshima Noa."

If you are reading this, thank you! Hopefully you liked it. If you did, I'd love to know. If you didn't, I'd appreciate your constructive criticism. I like advice.

Thanks for reading. :)