Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Several weeks later….
Ichigo & Orihime's Room
Ichigo POV

Ichigo lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Beside him was Orihime, sound asleep with her head on his shoulder. It was a bit…awkward for the two of them when Aizen had given the two the large room with a single bed. In fact, Ichigo could swear that his father was teasing him….

Earlier….
Ichigo & Orihime POV

Ichigo and Orihime followed Aizen as he led them into the room. Ichigo still felt numb from the revelations that his father had dropped on him. Orihime kept hold of his hand, trying her best to remain strong for him. The two followed Aizen, wondering where he was taking them, only to find themselves in a large bedroom. "Ichigo. Orihime," Aizen addressed. "This is where you'll be staying."

The two orange-heads looked around. It looked quite cozy, with nice couches and desks. Bookcases filled with precious tomes lined the walls. And over by the far wall was a comfy king-sized bed. "Um…Aizen?" Ichigo muttered. "There's only one bed."

"Yes, and it's big enough for the both of you," Aizen said, smiling at his son. Turning for the door, Aizen opened it before turning back to Ichigo and Orihime. "You're free to do as you please while you're here. My chambers are down the hall if you have need of me. Ichigo," his deep brown eyes locked with his son's. "I will arrive here tomorrow morning to start your training. I'll pick up where your mother left off, as well as answer any questions that you have. In the meantime…" his gaze turned to Orihime and his lips formed a wide smile. "Orihime, perhaps now would be a good time to tell him…."

"Tell me what?" asked a confused Ichigo.

Smirking, Aizen merely turned around. "You'll see. I believe Orihime has been dying to tell you something for some time now. Until tomorrow, Ichigo." And with that he left.

Ichigo turned back to Orihime. "So what is it you've wanted to tell me?" he asked, wondering what was so important Aizen had to coax her into spilling it.

Orihime kept quiet while walking over to him. Taking his hands, Orihime started to shake. "Ichigo. I've wanted to tell you this for so long. I just never had the nerve to say it…" Orihime whispered, looking up. Ichigo could see his reflection in her pale eyes and Orihime smiled. "I love you."

Back to the Present….
Ichigo POV

That had been several weeks ago. The first night had been awkward for them both, especially after Orihime's confession. Ichigo had stood there stunned before realizing that her love for him was what made her stay in this nightmarish dimension and he felt his own heart throb from the realization that he too had feelings for her.

But as Ichigo lay there in bed, his mind turned to home and those he'd left behind. He'd left the Soul Society to rescue Orihime, only now the circumstances had turned into something far more devastating. Looking back, Ichigo remembered his time in the Soul Society and all he knew and he understood now that what Aizen had been telling him was the truth, no matter how much it hurt him to think that his friends would execute him for the simple crime of existing.

The thoughts made him think of his regular training with his father and the words he'd said. One of the things that Ichigo hated about his father was the fact that his words always rang cold with truth….

Yesterday….
Ichigo's Personal Training Chamber
Ichigo & Aizen POV

Ichigo chopped at his father, his hollow mask on his face. One of the things that Aizen first did once Ichigo had decided to stay in Hueco Mundo was to help Ichigo get control of his hollowfication. Although a curious observation of Aizen's was that Ichigo had not completely hollowfied. His mask was hornless and not at full power. 'Still, he has progressed quite far. Just as I planned….'

"You're distracted, Ichigo," Aizen said as he attacked his son. Grabbing Ichigo by the collar, Aizen hurled his son across the room and watched as he bounced like a dodgeball. Sheathing his sword, Aizen frowned as Ichigo's mask crumbled. "Something on your mind?"

Panting, Ichigo stood up. "There's been something that's been bothering me. You said that Central 46 ordered my execution. How do you know if the captains' will listen? I got the impression after the incident with the Bounts that they were getting tired of their reckless decisions."

"A good train of thought, Ichigo." Aizen crossed his arms and stared at his son. "But you shouldn't get your hopes up. Let me just guess what you're thinking…you think that the friendship that you've made with Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Kenpachi Zaraki and the other Soul Reapers you've encountered will be enough to protect you. Think about what Rukia told you back when you were first getting a grip on your powers." Ichigo remembered, recalling how Rukia had told him about how Souls never got hungry and that the Soul Society was a veritable paradise.

"Tell me: Did what you saw with your own eyes confirm what Rukia said? Were the 13 Court Guard Squads really as benevolent as she made it sound?"

Ichigo's eyes stared at the floor as he struggled to answer. "Um…"

Shaking his head, Aizen started counting off on one hand. "The bloodthirsty monster who tried to kill you for the sake of satisfying his bloodlust. The insane scientist who attempted to capture our dear friend Orihime to experiment on her and had used brutal experiments on countless Quincies. The ruthless older brother who swore with his own hands that he'd kill Rukia and you, despite knowing that Rukia did not deserve to die. The Head-Captain who promised Rukia that you would be spared as her final request but was lying, along with the fact that he left you and your mother to die at the hands of Grand Fisher. The list goes on and on, Ichigo." Reaching into his pocket, Aizen pulled out something that he'd taken from Ichigo when he'd first arrived. "Even those captains who seem kind are hiding something behind their backs."

Ichigo frowned. "You mean like you? As I recall, you were probably the most respected captain before you jumped ship."

Chuckling, Aizen held the object in his hand up for Ichigo to see. "The same can be said for Captain Ukitake. And yet, look at the combat pass he gave you." Ichigo saw that his combat pass was in Aizen's hands, a large crack running across it. "Tell me, didn't you ever wonder about this?"

The look on Ichigo's face told Aizen he had thought of it. "Well…I know that Captain Ukitake said that the pass recognized substitutes but…" he trailed off as his deep-seated reservations were dug up….

Aizen finished him. "But you'd never seen or heard of any other substitutes besides yourself. And the "authority" that the pass supposedly granted you didn't amount to much. Tell me, would you like to know why?" Ichigo, knowing that he had to hear this despite the gnawing in his stomach, nodded. "This is, in fact, a tracer. It monitors you at all times and lets the Soul Society contain your spirit energy while you're in your human form."

"What!?" gaped Ichigo. "But if it's monitoring me than-"

"You catch on very fast. I'm pleased. But rest assured, Ichigo, I've already deactivated the medallion's tracking and surveillance mechanisms." Aizen pocketed the small pass and turned back to Ichigo. "So there you have it. Even if you returned to the Soul Society and they ignored Central 46's orders, you cannot trust them."

"And the reason I should trust you is?"

Continuing to smile, Aizen turned around, deciding that the training spar was over for the day. "I have always been truthful with you, Ichigo. But I'll give you some advice, Ichigo: You shouldn't trust anybody, including myself. You'd do well to take that to heart…."

Ichigo watched his father leave before sheathing Zangetsu, deciding to get some much needed rest….

Back to the Present….
Ichigo POV

Ichigo sat up, feeling restless. Thinking it over, several questions had popped into his head and he needed answers.

"Ichigo…" Orihime looked up when she no longer felt his warmth. "What's the matter?"

Smiling, Ichigo kissed her forehead. "I'm just a little restless. Go back to sleep. I'll be back shortly." Ichigo pulled the covers over her and saw Orihime fall back asleep. Turning around, he walked out the room and out into the hall, entering the room at the far end of the corridor.

"You're up late."

Aizen sat sitting in his chair, head propped up with a hand and an amused look on his face as Ichigo entered his chambers. "What's the matter, Ichigo? You should be resting after today."

Ichigo sat down in a nearby chair and looked at his father. "Something's been bugging me. I've been recalling several things that have happened to me and…before I had just chalked it up as chance or fate but now…" Ichigo scowled as he glared at his father. "I'm starting to get the impression that you had a hand in a lot more than just what you've said before."

Ichigo's father looked at him with a smirk. "Oh? What do you mean?"

"I'd never encountered a hollow, except for Grand Fisher. But minutes after I'd encountered Rukia, one just happened to show up. Uryu said that that bait of his was used to draw in low-level hollows, so then why did a Menos Grande show up? And I find it strange that just as I was getting used to being a Soul Reaper, Renji and Byakuya showed up to take Rukia away to be executed." Ichigo's scowl deepened as he stared at the man who gave him life. "That wasn't chance, was it? That was all you." He gripped the arms of the chair and dug his nails into the white stone. "Why?"

Silence filled the room as father and son stared each other down. Finally, Aizen answered. "Very good." He closed his eyes and smiled, feeling pride. "I'm glad that you've learned to question things." Opening his eyes again, he gave Ichigo a look that chilled him to the bone. "You're correct."

"To start off, I knew that the hollow would attack you when you crossed paths with Rukia Kuchiki. Her abilities were that of a seated officer, so it would be natural that she would detect your power. That was the very reason I stationed to begin with. In order for you to grow further and become adjusted to your powers, I sent that Menos Grande to the World of the Living, knowing that while you would not be able to defeat it, you would gain greater strength from the encounter. And to make sure that you would butt heads with the Soul Society, I'd equipped Renji Abarai's gear with the ability to detect her preciously undetectable spiritual pressure. And to further add to your hypothesis, I was the one who gave your whereabouts to the lieutenants during their meeting while you were invading the Soul Society, to make sure that you and Renji Abarai came to blows. I even went as far as to move forward the date of Rukia's execution by a day so that you would achieve Bankai." He gave Ichigo a rare smile. "You perform best under pressure, I've learned."

Ichigo slumped back in the chair, his suspicions confirmed. "Aizen, what exactly am I to you? Am I just some science project like your arrancars?" he asked with worried eyes.

Again, silence filled the room. Aizen propped his head back up on his arm as he continued to look upon his son. "Is this the part where you're expecting me to say that I did it because I love you?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Well…no but-"

"Ichigo. You're my son. And as Isshin can attest, all fathers want their children to succeed and grow. And that is what I've done." He closed his eyes and Ichigo could tell that the conversation was over. "Does that answer your question?"

Sighing, Ichigo stood up. "Yeah." Turning around, Ichigo walked out the room, feeling both satisfied and yet more confused than ever. "Good night, Aizen…."

"Good night, Ichigo…."

Aizen POV

Watching his son leave, Aizen stood up. He looked over to the dark corner of the room and called out to the shadows. "Gin. How long are you planning to skulk in the corner?"

Like a phantom from the void, Gin Ichimaru appeared, smiling like usual. "Well, that was interesting. I never thought I'd see you and Ichigo having a heart to heart. I must admit, he catches on rather quick. I see he got your intellect along with Rangiku's looks."

"Yes. I'm glad that he's smart enough to realize that things weren't what they seem. As for his last question, I figured he would ask that sooner or later."

Keeping his hands in his sleeves, Gin cocked his head. "So tell me, Cap'n Aizen. Are you planning on throwing Ichigo at the Soul Reapers when we mount our attack soon?"

Shaking his head, Aizen touched a small pillar by his chair, revealing the hogyoku. "No. No amount of convincing will get Ichigo to fight for us. But at least here he's away from the battlefield where the Captains can't use him."

Gin's narrowed eyes seem to narrow even further. From the way Aizen phrased that…made it seem that Aizen was keeping Ichigo out of harm. "I see. Well, this should be interesting to say the least."

"Indeed. We'll see, Gin. We'll see."

Meanwhile….
Ichigo POV

Ichigo entered his room and took off his shihakusho. Sliding back into bed, Ichigo wrapped his arms around Orihime, pulling her close. Orihime, snug asleep, snuggled into Ichigo's embrace and slept on. As Ichigo fell asleep he kept wondering the same question over and over again.

'What exactly am I?'

To Be Continued