Chapter 24

The next morning I woke to a funny sensation. Almost like sand paper on my face. I twitched and turned my head to the side but only a moment later the feeling came back. It moved to my ear and now there was a gentle nipping. I laughed and opened my eyes to see Pantera wide awake and licking my face again. "Good morning Pantera," I said petting her.

She purred in response. "She jumped on my face to wake me up," said an also awake Grimmjow.

Pantera hopped off me and back to Grimmjow, purring and rubbing herself against Grimmjow's hand. "Looks like she's saying she's sorry," I said smiling softly while watching the two play a bit together. I think now, after spending so much time together with Grimmjow I may be able to ask him a favor. "Um…Grimmjow?"

"Hm?" Grimmjow asked distractedly while playing with Pantera.

"I was wondering if I could possibly go see my friends in the POW cellar," I said nervously.

Grimmjow stopped and looked up at me then away angrily. "Yeah, you probably want to go see your 'team mate' huh?" he asked angrily.

"Huh?"

"Szayel said you were very close to someone down there."

I blinked then thought it over. "Oh! No, that's not him! That's my childhood friend Hisagi," I said.

Grimmjow turned back to me. "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? Have I lied to you yet?"

Grimmjow's smile came back. "Well what are we waiting for? I want to meet your friends too!" he said excited.

I smiled happily as both Grimmjow and I dressed then I followed Grimmjow down the halls. Grimmjow talked to the guards and they left a moment later. He opened the door and I peeped in. I looked around and my happy smile disappeared. "Hisagi!" I shouted and ran in.

German in Bold

I knelt by his side. He was covered head to toe in wounds, blood trickling out of some of them. Hisagi's eyes cracked open and a smile crawled onto his face when his eyes met mine. "Haruka," he coughed. "You're alive," Hisagi said hoarsely.

I carefully reached forward and cupped Hisagi's cheek. He winced in pain and I felt the tears welling up. "What did they do to you?" I asked quietly.

"They've been trying to get information from us," another voice said. I turned and my eyes widened at captain Shunsui, with a badly injured eye, and a nearly dead captain Jushiro. I ran a hand through my hair and bit my lip.

"Grimmjow! Help!" I shouted. Grimmjow came running in.

"What's wro- holy shit!" he said, looking over my friends.

"Please, you have to help them," I plead.

Grimmjow looked back at the door then back to the guys and finally to me. "We're not supposed to-"

"Grimmjow, they're going to die!" I shouted feeling tears in my eyes. He looked down at me shocked. "Please, please Grimmjow."

Grimmjow sighed, scratching the back of his head. Finally he reached down and picked up Hisagi. "Tell your other friend to grab the pale one and follow me." Grimmjow said and with that he began walking out.

"Grab captain Ukitake," I said holding him on one side and captain Shunsui the other. I followed Grimmjow all the way to the infirmary where Szayel was.

"Why did you bring the prisoners-" Szayel began but I stepped over and slapped him in the face.

"You bastard! How could you? They're humans damn it! Not your toys!" I screamed and began punching him.

I was stopped when arms wrapped around me then pulled me back. "Stop Haruka!" Grimmjow shouted, the one holding me.

Szayel adjusted his cracked glasses and sneered at me then a creepy smile crawled on his face. "It's all for the name of science," he said as if it were so simple.

I screamed more and struggled harder to Szayel's amusement. Grimmjow turned me away then pushed me a little. When I turned back I saw him punch Szayel harder than ever, making his nosebleed as he fell back to the ground. He picked Szayel up from off the floor and looked back at me. "Can you handle things here?" he asked darkly.

I nodded and the next thing I knew Szayel was dragged out by his collar. I was woken from my thoughts when I heard Hisagi cough. In a blink I got to work, putting on a spare nurses uniform and bandaging up my friends. Hisagi was nearly covered from head to toe in white gauze. Captain Ukitake wasn't as bad and thankfully I found a vaccine for him, the effects almost immediate when his breath became less ragged. And finally captain Shunsui. "I'm sorry Captain but I don't think I can save your eye," I said nervously.

"It's fine. Just do what you can," he said with a kind smile. I nodded then got to work. "Hisagi nearly went crazy when they took you away. But it looks like you're doing fine to me."

I smiled softly while continuing my work. "I saved Grimmjow on the battlefield, not knowing who he was. Then he saved me apparently," I replied.

"And he hasn't done anything to…harm you?" the captain asked suggestively.

It took me a minute but I soon realized what he meant, making me blush dark red. "N-No, sir! Grimmjow has not done anything to harm me. He has been very kind to me, sir," I said trembling, only making the captain laugh.

"That's good. We don't want any harm to come to our angel." I chuckled then finally sighed, looking at the eye.

"I'm sorry even if I was a doctor it seems it's too late," I said then moved over to the side desk going through the drawers. Eventually I found an eye patch and placed it on his head. I sighed again in sadness until a hand was on my shoulder.

"You saved Hisagi and Jushiro. There is nothing else I can ask for. You've truly done great today. Thank you," the captain said. I smiled and nodded.

The door suddenly opened revealing Grimmjow, Szayel, and Aizen. "See? And this is just these three. The whole cellar's filled with half dead POWs," Grimmjow said.

Aizen turned to a cowering Szayel. "Szayel, these prisoners are the currency of our war. We trade back our own soldiers for these. More importantly, you did not ask to use these men for your experiments," Aizen said. He then stepped over between the captains' beds. "For example these two are captains. Thankfully Haruka here saved their lives for if she hadn't, your life would take their places."

"S-sorry, sir. It will not happen again," Szayel said nervously. He quickly glared at me then back at Aizen as he approached.

"Good. Now take your nurses down to the cellars and take care of the men down there." With a bow Szayel left and I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Grimmjow for telling me of this. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that Aizen was gone, this time Grimmjow sighing in relief.

"Come on, your friends are passed out. Let's go back," Grimmjow said, motioning me out. I turned back and indeed Shunsui was asleep along with the others. Silently I followed Grimmjow down the halls. Wow it was night already. We remained silent the entire walk until we got to his room. Grimmjow turned back to me and winced. "Damn, take off that outfit. You're covered in red!" Grimmjow said.

I looked down and indeed the dress had splatters of blood. I nodded again and stepped into the bathroom, coming out a few minutes later clean. Grimmjow sat on his side of the bed and I sat on mine.

German not in bold

"I forgot to say thanks…for everything today," I muttered.

Suddenly I was pulled in a side hug. "You ok? You look pretty shaken up," Grimmjow said surprisingly soft. Slowly I took Grimmjow's arm and put my face against it, feeling the tears come back. Would Hisagi have lived if I were a week late? A day even? The thought of losing him was driving me crazy. "Damn, sometimes I forget you're a woman," Grimmjow said trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut up," I mumbled then sniffled, only making Grimmjow laugh.

"Hey, I don't like when you cry. Come on," Grimmjow said, now pulling me into a hug.

"Is that why you beat Szayel up? You had a crazy look in your eyes today."

"Ah, I never liked that prick anyway."

I pulled away smiling however. My body moved before my mind could stop it and I kissed Grimmjow's cheek. When I pulled away Grimmjow was wide-eyed and turning red. "Thanks Grimmjow. For everything. Good night." And with that I lay down and turned away to hide my own blush. Why the hell did I kiss him? What was wrong with me? Grimmjow laid down only a moment later, silently, and also turned away. Why? Why did I do that?