Really long A/N: I've gone through and done some major editing for every chapter up until this point. The story hasn't changed at all and I haven't even changed the wording really. I've always had a problem with paragraphs and knowing when to start new ones. A few people have mentioned in several of my stories that it's hard to tell who's talking at times. I knew that there were things that needed to be fixed but I wasn't sure how to do it.

When I went back through and read this story myself from the beginning, there were times that even I didn't know who was speaking. That's a pretty bad sign. *grins sheepishly* But I think I've got a better handle on it now and I've fixed it accordingly. Thank you so much to all of you who have stuck with me and have been enjoying the story anyway.

Weekend Getaway- Chapter 14

Grimmjow exited the elevator on the floor for Aizen's office and headed down the hall. He didn't bother to knock on the door but went straight inside. Gin and Tosen looked up from what they were doing when he entered. The pale man just grinned at him while the darker one glowered.

"He's-"

"Going to see me whether he wants to or not." Grimmjow cut Tosen off completely and ignored him as he continued speaking.

"I was going to say he's expecting you but your rudeness is as difficult to deal with as ever."

Grimmjow's lip curled a little as he went through the other door an into Aizen's private office. He never paid much attention to Tosen. The self righteous bastard had never liked him and he made sure everyone else knew it too. But it didn't matter. It was more than mutual. Grimmjow paused once he was inside and saw Ulquiorra standing by the window. He hadn't expected him to be in here. Aizen was in the chair behind the desk with his back turned to the door. A sheathed katana sat in a small display stand on the desk. It hadn't been there the last time he'd come in here.

"Tch. Things must be bad if you dragged that thing out again. Feeling a little insecure?" Grimmjow waited for an answer but didn't get one immediately. Huffing an irritable breath, he went over and sank into one of the comfortable chairs all the while ignoring Ulquiorra's disapproving stare.

"Not in the way you think. Is he alright?"

"Like I said on the phone, he's dealing." Grimmjow smirked. "Got all defensive when the delivery men showed up."

Aizen smiled a little. He'd expected that. But it was nice to know that Ichigo wasn't so stubborn as to outright refuse. Even if he had turned down Grimmjow's protection and asked him to leave. Aizen turned around in his chair to look at the sword on his desk. He'd pulled it out of the safe on a whim and set it out so he could look at it. Having it close to hand always made him feel a little more in control even though he knew that it was most likely a weakness on his part. It was the only possession that he still had from his past when he'd been nothing. When he'd had nothing. It had become a symbol for him since then. Something that showed that he'd overcome all of that. Perhaps he had been feeling a little insecure lately. It wasn't a comfortable sensation and he forced down his irritation.

"Did you find anything?"

Grimmjow looked up and narrowed his eyes. "Nothing obvious. While we cleaned up I went over the most obvious places and then some of the more subtle ones. I don't think anything was left behind. Nel's keeping an eye on his place for now."

"I wonder if it was just another distraction then." Aizen leaned back in his chair. When he'd received the phone call detailing the wreckage of Ichigo's apartment, he'd instantly been furious that someone had dared to invade his space. Inwardly, he was a little surprised at how possesive and protective he'd become of the redhead already. After all, he'd only known him in person for a few days. And before that, he'd been a potential threat.

"It's possible that it could be unrelated." Ulquiorra's voice was calm and even like it always was.

"I don't think so." Grimmjow slouched in his chair. "His roommates rooms weren't touched. And nothing was taken. Sounds personal to me." He frowned for a moment. "Unless the kid's got his own enemies."

"Possibly, but I doubt that as well." Aizen sat quietly for a few moments after that. He'd come up with a couple other theories since last night and he didn't like where they led. It was foolish and nearsighted of him not to consider them before.

Sighing quietly, he turned back to Grimmjow. "And what about you?"

Grimmjow blinked for a moment. "What about me?" The silence stretched uncomfortably as Aizen continued to watch him. He couldn't possibly know about this morning. Unless Ulquiorra had told him. His blue eyes flicked to the shorter man who was also watching him. He glared for a moment even though he knew there would be no reaction to it. "You've got a big damn mouth for someone so small, you know that?"

"Right now I don't think we can afford distractions. And fighting amongst ourselves is counterproductive." Ulquiorra seemed unfazed by Grimmjow's anger.

"I can take care of myself."

There was an almost delicate snort. "You have yet to show me that. At least on a personal level."

Grimmjow fumed as he gripped the arms of the chair. It didn't matter that Ulquiorra was right. Now was not the time for personal bullshit but he wasn't sure how to deal with it without totally making a mess. He didn't think he was getting out of here without at least telling them something but he didn't even know what to say.

Aizen seemed to pick up on that and tried to offer him an opening. "Did something happen between you and Szayel?"

Grimmjow closed his eyes for a moment. So he did know at least in part. Stupid Ulquiorra. But Grimmjow didn't look at the smaller man. He didn't want to see what might be in his eyes. For all his outward apathy, the depth of his stare could be unnerving on a good day. "It wouldn't be a problem if you had just let me deal with him in Monaco."

Aizen regarded the other man quietly. So that was it. It seemed that some old business was coming up to complicate things. The events from three years ago were still a sore spot for some. Not that it was entirely unconnected to what was happening now. And it only confirmed some of the uncomfortable theories that had occurred to him. He chose his words carefully. "Szayel serves his purpose."

"As what, a freakish pink thorn in my side?" Grimmjow's eyes snapped open to glare at his boss.

Aizen's gaze was level as he returned the look calmly. "I know you don't care for him but you're more agitated than usual. What happened?"

Grimmjow gritted his teeth. He could feel the weight of the other man's stare and knew that he'd have to tell him eventually. Not that he wanted to. "I got a letter from Ilfort yesterday."

Aizen was careful to keep his face neutral. This had always been a touchy subject and they'd all avoided it so far. He saw a brief flicker of surprise flash over Ulquiorra's face and found himself mildly shocked by that. Apparently, Grimmjow hadn't told him. He knew they shared more than just a bed and it was truly surprising that the blue haired man hadn't at least mentioned it to his partner. Of course, the letter itself was a surprise all by itself. Ilfort had died more than ten years ago.

Grimmjow reached up and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. "It was dated the day he died and. . ." He took a breath and glanced at the door, keeping his voice low. "And I'm pretty sure that fucker did it. He killed his own damned brother."

"I suppose some sort of congratulations is in order since you've seemingly kept yourself from ripping Szayel apart so far." Aizen disregarded Grimmjow's angry glare. "Did the letter say that exactly?"

"No. Ilfort was more careful than that. It was stupid to write shit down and that was probably part of what got him dead. But the code in the words was something we used all the time."

"And it indicated his younger brother."

"Who else do you know with four eyes and two faces?" There was heat in Grimmjow's voice now. "I know you think he's some link that'll help you get closure and clean up the fallout. But his boss is dead. We were all there. That was over years ago."

"I never thought you were the naïve type, Grimmjow. While I've managed to clear out the worst of the debris, a beast of an organization like that lingers long after it's head has been cut off." And it appeared that it was coming back from the dead to try and meddle in Aizen's affairs again. Perhaps he'd become too complacent lately. Nobody mentioned Barragan's name. That was a touchy subject too.

"And I told you that you should have let me clean house back then." Grimmjow felt a hand on his shoulder but he didn't look up at Ulquiorra. The tension rose several notches as Grimmjow nearly shook with the effort to control himself.

"Do you really want to be rid of me that badly?" Green eyes gazed down at Grimmjow with more warmth than they usually showed. They were an odd pair but they'd been through quite a bit together. The smaller man perched on the arm of the chair and Grimmjow let out a long sigh. "That's not what I meant."

Aizen looked out the window again to give them a few moments. Back when he was starting to get a foothold and gain influence, he'd drawn the attention of Barragan Luisenbarn, a powerful crime lord that had a lot of connections. His main company, Hueco Mundo Imports, was a vast organization that dealt in a wide variety of services and businesses, most of them illegal on some level. Aizen had been much younger then and took it as a personal challenge when he had tried to recruit him. The older man's methods of business were distasteful to him even then and he had no intention of joining. But he wasn't going to roll over and give up his own goals either.

The fight had been long and ugly, sometimes subtle in its viciousness and at others it had been outright violent. The final conflict of that battle had taken out an entire city block. Aizen had slipped in and taken Barragan's place. Since then, he'd transferred and shuffled nearly every business so it was mostly all legal now. It was the power that had attracted him in the first place, not the criminal aspect of it all. And it pleased Aizen to know that Barragan was mostly likely rolling in his grave at what he'd done with his organization. Not to mention the skill it had required to do all of that and avoid complications with the authorities. But he was extremely careful and they had nothing to implicate him in anything, much to their constant frustration.

Back when it all started, Ulquiorra had been one of Barragan's employees along with Szayel. There were a few others that had changed sides as well but they'd been weeded out over the years for various reasons. There was no question about Ulquiorra's loyalty. Szayel was another matter all together. But it was true that he had his uses. He did have extensive medical knowledge that had come in handy on several occasions. While it was most likely unwise for Aizen to place the health of his people in the hands of someone who started out on the other team, it had always been clear that Szayel's own survival rested on the lives of his patients. The pink haired man knew that without being told and hadn't given any indication that he was anything other than obedient. Aizen's thoughts were interrupted by a cool voice.

"I believe you know more than you're letting on about our current situation. Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra was watching him carefully. Grimmjow frowned and looked up at him where he still sat on the arm of his chair.

Aizen's voice was equally cool in his response. "And since when have I ever told you everything?" There was no condescension in his answer but a simple statement of fact. Not even Kaname and Gin knew absolutely everything. Aizen was extremely careful and kept his own council in certain areas. But he shouldn't be surprised that Ulquiorra had noticed it. While he was quiet and rather demure in appearance, he was the most alert and calculating individual he'd ever met.

"That itself is not the issue."

Aizen braced an elbow on the arm of his chair and put his chin in his hand. "It's possible that there are still a few pockets that remain of the old order. They could be trying to upset the balance."

There was a harsh snort from Grimmjow. "They can't possibly think they'll win."

"I'm sure they said the same thing about us once upon a time." Aizen fixed Grimmjow with an even look and the other man's eyes flicked away. Nobody was comfortable with that thought. They had been just a scant few in number when they'd taken on Barragan. And against all odds, they'd actually succeeded. To dismiss a similar attempt now that they were on the other side of the glass would be foolish and dangerous. But after a few moments, Grimmjow's lips curled at the edges and he looked back at Aizen.

"But you're way better at this than he ever was."

Aizen couldn't quite keep himself from returning the look. "True enough."

Ulquiorra let his hand drop to his lap. "So what do you propose we do?"

"Nothing." Both men blinked at Aizen for a moment. "At least that's the way it will look." They relaxed a little at that. "So far, we've been fumbling with misinformation and frustration at our apparent lack of ability to figure out what's going on. I don't believe I want to change that at the moment."

"You know, I really hate all that subtle bullshit." Grimmjow slumped in the chair again, his displeasure obvious in his posture.

"Am I supposed to be surprised by that?" Aizen smirked when Grimmjow glared at him.

"What about the kid? You just going to leave him hanging in all of this?"

Aizen's expression fell slightly. Yes, that would certainly be a complication. While he would ordinarily limit bystander casualties, he knew that sometimes they couldn't be helped. But this was so different. He'd never really gone out of his way for any one person that was outside his inner circle before. At least not for personal reasons. He wished Ichigo had stayed here but there was no way he could force him without destroying the tenuous relationship they had. And then there was issue of what to tell him exactly. He still didn't know him very well and to bring him into his trust completely could be a costly mistake. Even if Aizen was almost completely certain that he wasn't knowingly involved in any of this.

"Nothing is going to happen to him if I can help it."

Grimmjow eyed him for a moment. "You're really gone on him aren't you?"

Of all people to notice something like that, Grimmjow wasn't one Aizen would have immediately considered. The man was not exactly the most emotionally astute person. But it was obvious from the way he was looking at him that he knew. Even though Aizen was pretty sure that his own expression was relatively neutral at the moment, it must be showing. That nearly made him frown. His gaze flicked between the two men sitting together on the chair. Maybe Grimmjow saw it because he knew what it was like to find something unlikely that turned into something that was inevitable.

"You don't have to say anything. I wasn't going to let anything happen to him either no matter what you decided."

Aizen saw Grimmjow turning a small box in his fingers with a strangely thoughtful expression on his face. "You like him too."

Grimmjow shrugged casually and stuffed the box back in his pocket. "It doesn't mean I won't kick his ass if he pushes me again, but yeah. I guess."

Aizen turned back to look out the window again and smiled quietly. "I'll be going to Italy Sunday. Make sure the jet is serviced before then." There was the unspoken order to make sure it was clean before takeoff. But he knew Grimmjow would make sure of that even without him saying it out loud. "And make sure your tux is ready for the show tomorrow." The last was directed more at Ulquiorra. He knew the smaller man wouldn't let Grimmjow out unless his wardrobe was impeccable.

"Aww, why do I have to go? Nnoitra's going to be there."

Ulquiorra's voice was flat. "Because it's your job."

"And because Nel asked you to. Or have you forgotten about that?" Aizen shot him an amused look over his shoulder.

"She can play dress up at home." Grimmjow actually looked like he was sulking now. Now that they'd come to a decision about the more immediate and pressing matters, they allowed themselves to relax. At least momentarily. Not that they'd let their guards down from here on out. It was too dangerous to do that.

"But it's for a good cause."

Grimmjow eyed Aizen irritably. "And good for the PR."

"Like I said, a good cause."

That made Grimmjow shake his head and pull himself up out of the chair. Ulquiorra rose smoothly beside him. Grimmjow's face turned serious for a moment. "I haven't done anything to him yet but the moment he even looks like he's stepping out of line, you're going to have to shop for a new medic."

Aizen couldn't really argue with that but he gave Grimmjow a hard look just the same. "But I would avoid that particular option if I were you." The blue haired man narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to argue. Aizen cut him off. "I never said you had to ignore a possible threat. But don't make the solution permanent if it can be avoided." In other words, don't kill him if you don't have to, was the underlying message there. Szayel was still a valuable recourse beyond his physician's skills.

"I can promise you anything you want, but it won't change anything if he makes a move first." They watched each other for a moment before Grimmjow headed to the door and left with Ulquiorra trailing behind him. That was probably the best Aizen was going to get from him so he let it go for now. He turned back to his desk. There were a few more things to take care of before his meeting this afternoon.