What Ever It Is

Chapter 11

As said before, Orihime continues with her Dancing Master, unaware that she and Grimmjow are being watched. However, Orihime is not the same and the "little girl" that Ulquiorra kidnapped by threatening her friends. All of Hueco Mundo is going to find out that the "Little Princess" is growing up fast! (A/N: In the english dub, Ulquiorra says "Come with me...little girl.")

Orihime woke in Grimmjow's arms. He was awake and looking at her curiously, "What are you looking at?" she asked with a smile.

"You." he said softly, "Are you the same girl that came here only a few short weeks ago?"

"I wonder about that too." she said with a self-conscious little chuckle. She stretched and was just leaning in to kiss Grimmjow when a knock sounded on their door. "Come in!" Orihime called, pulling the covers up to her neck.

Alejandra came in and said, with a grin on her lips and pale blue eyes sparkling, " My father has instructed me to tell the dead girl that it is time for her lesson and to eat her breakfast quickly and get down to his salle unless she no longer wishes to be someone worthy of fighting by Master Grimmjow's side."

Orihime glanced at the clock and then looked alarmed. "Oh heavens! Is that the time? Grimmjow, why didn't you wake me up?" She leaped out of bed and grabbed the outfit she used for training, now freshly laundered and began dressing. Since last night she was no longer shy about letting Grimmjow see her half dressed and Alejandra was another female. Orihime was used to that from gym class at school.

Grimmjow watched her appreciatively and answered, "I'd just woken up myself. We both slept late Princess." He glanced over at his fraccion and said, "I don't suppose you brought breakfast?"

Alejandra chuckled, "Oh ye of little faith! Would I allow my master or his mate to go without breakfast? Perish the thought!" With a flourish worthy of her flamboyant father, she produced a platter containing two breakfast sandwiches each and fruit slices, along with a pitcher of cold, sweet tea in her other hand. Grimmjow had to admire her dexterity and to wonder how she did that little trick. "After my father's message, I decided to make breakfast quick and somewhat portable."

"Good thinking." Grimmjow agreed, reaching for one of the breakfast sandwiches and taking a bite. He chewed the flaky croissant filled with eggs, ham and cheese, glad he had asked Alejandra to be his fraccion. The woman was efficient, discreet and thought fast on her feet. She was perhaps a trifle too cheerful for an Arrancar, but that could be because she finally felt useful again and she seemed to be doing a world of good for Orihime, so Grimmjow let that minor annoyance pass. After all, he found himself laughing a great deal more than he used to as well, so perhaps these two ladies were good for him too. His former fraccion had often gotten on his nerves too, mostly because they had been little more than yes men. Alejandra, while properly respectful of him, had a sharp mind and opinions of her own, though she wouldn't voice them unless asked. Grimmjow felt however, that he could count on her to be honest and not simply tell him what he wanted to hear and that was refreshing. A sudden thought occurred to him, "Alejandra, why does your father call Orihime dead girl?"

"He calls all his pupils that."Alejandra explained with a smile, "Even me. He says that if he can kill you more times than you can him, then you are a dead person. He only stops calling you that when you can win 2 out of 3 rounds and that my Master, is harder than it sounds. You wouldn't be called that, or most of the other Espada, because he knows you could best him, but anyone else? We're still dead girls and boys."

"You said most of the Espada. Who does he still call dead?" Grimmjow asked, chuckling at her father's tactic.

Alejandra snickered, "Master SzayalAporro, Master Zommarie and Master Ariennero are still dead boys according to my father. Master SzayalAporro doesn't seem to mind. He even seems a bit amused by it, but the other two are heartily offended. Of the other Privaron, Cirruce is still a dead girl, but she keeps training with him and vows to one day earn the right to be considered alive by him. She even seems fond of my father. Of all of them, she took her fall from the Espada the hardest and my father was there for her."

Grimmjow laughed, "I think I like your father! I'd like to get to know him better. He seems like a wily old fox!"

"He would like that as well Master. Since his fall he is too often over-looked and ignored, but he still has much to contribute." Alejandra gave her master a grateful smile, "He is honored by your trust in him and for giving him the opportunity to teach Miss Orihime, as am I. We both find it good to feel useful again."

"You both earned that trust Alejandra." Grimmjow said, getting up and making his way to the bathroom to check on Orihime and get dressed himself. "Hey Princess, your breakfast is getting cold!" he grinned, giving Orihime a light swat on her backside as she came out of the bathroom. "Be sure to eat all of it."

Orihime sat down at the table, taking advantage of the few moments that it would take Grimmjow to dress so that she could eat sitting down. "Mmm, these are so good!" she mumbled around a mouthful of food.

"Would you like a glass of cold tea Miss Orihime?" Alejandra asked.

"Please!" Orihime said after she swallowed. "I wish I could cook like you."

"I can teach you if you like. Alejandra smiled, handing her a glass of tea.

"That would be great! In fact, maybe you could help me with something. I need to make a birthday cake on August 6th for Grimmjow." the girl said, getting animated at the idea.

"How do you know Grimmjow's birthday? I didn't even know he knew when it was. Not many of us do."

"He didn't either, but last night we were trying to decide how old he was and we sort of came up with 20 or so and I gave him the birthday August 6, because August means, noble or important and the 6th because he's the 6th Espada."

Alejandra smiled brightly, "You know, I think this will be the first birthday I've ever helped with. Master Grimmjow doesn't really like sweets much though." She tapped her lips with her thumb. "Can you find out if he likes any kind of sweets Orihime"

"Sure and I need to find something to give him for a present." the ginger haired girl said as she tied her obi securely. "Maybe Captain Ichimaru would help me. Could you ask if he'll come talk to me?"

"I'll go ask him while you're at practice. Shall I have him meet you outside the salle?" the Arrancar woman asked.

"Yes, please. I don't think Grimmjow likes him much, but he brought me my games and movies, so maybe he'll help me with this. He said to let him know if I needed anything." Orihime said. Gin made her nervous, but not as much as Aizen. Gin just never seemed that evil, just a little sneaky and sarcastic and while she couldn't say she trusted him, she was fairly certain he wouldn't hurt her. Scare her or make her uncomfortable yes, but not actually hurt her.

Orihime arrived in the salle 20 minutes later and was greeted by Dordoni saying, "You are late dead girl. Tomorrow you will be on time, yes?" He was standing with his back to the door, idly drawing patterns in the sand on the floor with the tip of the wooden practice sword. Without warning he turned quickly and tossed the sword at Orihime, who caught it without the slightest fumble. "Good! You caught that quite handily, dead girl!" He smiled his approval.

"You told me that today I would catch it." Orihime grinned back, "So today I caught it."

"You might just live again, dead girl, if you keep on as you have begun." Dordoni nodded, "It is gratifying to know I will only have to explain most things to you once. Come let us see if you can repeat yesterday's lesson and then after you are warmed up we will begin today's."

Dordoni put her through the series of sword drills that he had taught her yesterday and when she could repeat them, along with calling on her power to block attacks that she could not parry with her sword he nodded. "Very good! Today I will teach you to watch and see your opponent's moves. You must pay very close attention to even the smallest detail, for it will tell you what he is going to do before he does it and you are never caught off guard, yes?"

"That makes sense." Orihime agreed, keeping her stance sideways, presenting as small a target as possible and her joints loose, with her weight on the balls of her feet.

"All right nina, I will call out my movements as I make them and you shall parry them, slowly at first and then faster." Dordoni said, advancing on her. "Watch closely and keep me out of your fighting space. Right high!" His sword came from above on her right side and she parried quickly and a bit more gracefully than she had before. "Left high!" he called out and then "Left low!"

"Orihime watched him closely and parried each move he made. "Watch him! See what he's going to do and watch that blade!"

"Right high, left low!" he called out the two moves, one right on top of the other, "Left middle! Right low!" He was speeding up now and she felt sweat gather on her forehead, but she still watched him intently. "Left high, lunge right, right low." She parried the first two and then called out, "Santen Kesshune I reject!" She had missed the final parry and without her power he would have had her, but her shield stopped it.

"Good nina!" Dordoni smiled, but he didn't let up and called, "Right high!" However, he went left instead and thwacked his pupil on her unguarded left side. He didn't hit her hard, just enough to sting! "Dead!" he called.

"You said right, but you went left!" Orihime said, rubbing her side.

"You were not seeing, dead girl!" Dordoni admonished, waggling his finger at her and shaking his head, "My mouth said right, but you were not seeing as you should and so you are dead yet again."

"I was so!" Orihime responded, a little stung, "I was watching, but you went left instead of right!"

"And now you are a dead girl!" Dordoni said again, taking no pity on her.

Only because you lied!" Orihime complained.

"My tongue lied, my eyes shouted the truth! Watching is not seeing, the seeing, the true seeing, that is the heart of swordplay!" Dordoni said sternly, poking her on the forehead with his index finger. "It is not enough to watch nina, you must see and learn to anticipate from the clues you gain from it. Learn to do this and you will be very hard to take at unawares. This is a skill that could mean the saving of your life or the life of someone dear to you." He relaxed back into his fighting stance, "Now, again and correctly this time dead girl!"

The rest of the two hours were some of the most intense hours of the human girl's life, but she watched every move her teacher made, making certain to take note of even the smallest twitch and she managed to parry 90% of his attacks, either with her sword or her power and her "Dancing Master" finally called a halt. "Oof!" Orihime puffed, sliding down the wall to the floor. She did not however, let her sword fall. It might only be a practice sword made of wood, but the look Dordoni had given her yesterday had told her it was better to treat it as she would a real steel one. Dordoni handed her a bottle of water and a towel and she drank it slowly while she struggled back to her feet to walk herself cool and avoid having her muscles stiffen up.

"I believe someone is waiting with my daughter to talk to you nina. Do not keep him waiting." Dordoni said kindly, "You progress well for a dead girl. I do not think you will be dead for very long at all. Be here one hour after midday tomorrow and this time, dead girl, be on time! Off with you now!" he shooed her towards the door.

"Hello Orihime dear," Gin said as she came through the door, "how are you today? Training I see. How is that coming along?" Orihim tensed a little, but tried to relax as she remembered the reason he was here in the first place.

"Fine thank you, Captain Ichimaru." she smiled, "My teacher says I'm doing fairly well and that I only make a mistake once."

"Alejandra said you wanted to see me?" the silver haired man asked, tilting his head inquisitively.

"I did." she nodded, "You said to come to you if there was anything I needed from my world and I wondered if you could help me decide what to get Grimmjow for his birthday and get it for me from the human world."

"Grimmjow has a birthday?" Gin said, playing ignorant, "I didn't know he remembered his birthday! My, how extraordinary!"

"He...he doesn't, but I sort of...g..gave him one." the girl stuttered, embarrassed. Surely Ichimaru would laugh at her or tell her to stop being silly! After all, why should Arrancar concern themselves with something as trivial as a birthday? They were facing a war with the Seireitei!

Gin smiled and took her hand, giving it a squeeze, "You're a very sweet young lady, Orihime. Yes, I'd be delighted to help you." He paused, for a wonder, he really meant it! He was happy to help her and he did think she was a sweet, kind young woman. He shook his head, "I'd better watch myself. If this girl does have some strange power over people then it wouldn't do to get caught up in it!" He looked back down at the young human and continued, "Grimmjow had a meeting of the Espada that will probably keep him busy for another hour or so. Lets get you cleaned up and then we can sit down and discuss what you want to do. How's that?"

"Thank you so much!" Orihime said happily clapping her hands. They headed towards her suite and she jumped into the shower quickly while Gin and Alejandra made small talk. After about 15 minutes she rejoined them, combing her damp hair and pulling it up into a pony tale. "I want to get him a gift, but I don't know what to get him!" she said, frowning.

"Well, he likes games, right?" Gin asked, "Maybe I could find one that he could play alone. It would give him something to do while you're training, plus he wouldn't have to worry about you beating him all the time." He laughed as he said that, he'd seen Grimmjow get beaten and had experienced it himself as well.

"Hmm maybe, but which one?" the girl pondered, absently nibbling on her thumbnail as she thought, her stomach took that moment to grumble loudly and remind her that breakfast had been sometime ago. She blushed hotly when Gin and Alejandra grinned at each other. "Oh! Sorry about that!" she mumbled, letting her long hair fall forward to hide her face.

"I'll go get you some lunch, Miss Orihime." Alejandra smiled.

"Oh, it's all right! I'm really not that hungry." she said hastily. Her stomach growled loudly again, mortifying the poor human, "Ok, busted! I guess I am hungry after all."

"It won't take a minute." Alejandra soothed, "Captain, would you like something too?"

"And pass up a chance to eat your cooking? Perish the thought! Whatever you make will be fine and I'll keep Orihime company while you cook." The suite was one of the few with a small kitchen adjoining the main room, so Alejandra wouldn't have to leave her charge alone. Alejandra made okonomiyaki loaded with shredded cabbage, spring onion, pork belly fried crisp, oysters, shrimp and a little mochi. She topped each one with a generous drizzle of otafuku sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and bonito flakes. She had made them Osaka style for Ichimaru, whose accent screamed Kansai province, she hoped Orihime liked them too. When she set the plates in front of them, Gin said, "My, my Alejandra, this looks delicious! I may just have to lure you away from Grimmjow and have your cooking for myself!" He took a bite and rolled his head back, chewing blissfully. "Delicious! Best I've ever had!"

Orihime took a large bite too and rolled her eyes, it was truly delicious! Light and flavorful, not greasy or dry as it could be if done wrong. Everything was fresh and the vegetables crisp, but not raw and the seafood in it was perfect and a wonderful compliment to the salty pork bits. "I'm sorry Captain, but you can't have her! I couldn't eat what they brought me before Grimmjow took me down to the kitchen and Alejandra's food is so much better than mine!"

"Ok, I don't want to cause an incident with you or Grimmjow!" Gin laughed, waving his hand at her, "You might come after me!" he tilted his head again, as he often did when he was interested in something. "I hear you're doing sword training, Orihime dear. How is it coming? Are you enjoying it."

Orihime took the a moment to consider how she wanted to answer, using the excuse that her mouth was full to gain a little time. Why was Gin so interested in her all of a sudden? True, he'd been kind to her and had brought her her things from home and it had made time pass easier here, as well as helping her relationship with Grimmjow to progress. He'd certainly enjoyed the movies and he really enjoyed the games. Even when she was better at some of them, he took it as a challenge and was perversely proud of her skill when she beat him, but she knew Gin well enough now to know that the man was rarely ever what he seemed and always had ulterior motives for everything he did. She knew anything she said to this man would be repeated to Aizen as soon as Gin left here. She decided to tell him the truth...as far as it went. "Oh, I'm enjoying it a lot! I've always been so clumsy and it's helping that so much! Plus, since it involves a lot of physical exercise, my appetite is better and I sleep better at night because," she paused to laugh self-consciously, "I'm absolutely beat afterwards, but mostly it passes the time. I know Grimmjow and Alejandra both have other duties and can't babysit me all the time, so it frees them up, while giving me something to do."

"That's true, especially about it giving you something to do when your friends can't be with you. I would imagine it keeps nasty, jealous, little tramps like Loly and Menoly from catching you at unawares too." Gin said with a knowing nod. He took another bite of his lunch and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Your notion of physical training to improve your appetite and mood is unexpectedly sensible too." He grinned at her and finished, "That's why I like you Orihime, you're a very thoughtful and intelligent lady."

"Thank you Captain." she said, blushing.

"Oh, just call me Gin." the silver haired man said with a more genuine smile, "I've never been much on formality, too stuffy! Now, have you decided what to get Grimmjow?"

Orihime blushed again. She knew what she wanted to get, but did she dare ask Gin to get something that personal? She'd seen a men's bracelet done in stainless steel and deep blue enamal that would compliment Grimmjow perfectly. For that matter, did Arrancar even wear jewelry? Then she remembered the bracelet that Ulquiorra had made her wear during her last few hours in Karakura. Well he had to have gotten it somewhere, so maybe they did. She decided to ask Gin's opinion, since he seemed willing to at least entertain the idea. "Well, I remember a shop in Karakura that had a bracelet made of steel with blue enamal on it. I have the money and I can tell you the name of the shop if you'll pick it up for me."

"No problem dear." Gin grinned, "Where is it and when do you need it?"

"The Silver Dragonfly on Mercado Ave and I need it by August 6." she said, grateful that he hadn't laughed.

"No sooner said than done!" Gin laughed, "My only condition is that you invite me for lunch more often The food is to die for! Deal?" He held out his hand and they shook on it.

"Deal and thank you...Ca..Gin." Orihime turned her bright smile on the man. Gin felt that odd tug on his soul again and decided to make a quick exit. They hadn't established what this girl's powers could do yet and Gin didn't want to be collateral damage.

"I'll go in the morning and meet you after practice, ok?" he said, rising from his cushion. "I'll make sure Grimmjow is occupied so as not to spoil the surprise, but now I really have to go. Bye bye!" He waved cheerfully and swept through the door leaving Orihime and Alejandra alone.

"Well, that's taken care of, now all we have to do is figure out what type of cake to make."Alejandra said cheerfully.

"I'll find out what he likes tonight and we can plan more after practice." Orihime smiled back. "I'm really excited!"

And so we come to the end of chapter 11. As you can see, she's still practicing and her instincts are growing sharper. She likes Gin, but she isn't silly enough to trust him. Will she master the trick of seeing and stop being a dead girl? Find out in the next few chapters of What Ever It Is!