Finally, after more than an year, (actually after one year and forty two days) I'm updating the last chapter of this story. It's an odd feeling really. I'm elated to be able to finally put an end to this story in a satisfactory way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for sticking to this story through all this time. Although I'd started this story almost 3 years ago, today as I end it, I realize that not much has changed. The ending remains exactly as I had visualized it. The last scene of this chapter was with me from the moment I conceptualized the story and I hope you all will find it to be a proper end to the story. There is an epilogue, don't miss that.

I'll take this time to also give an update about my other stories and what's happening in my life. My Ulquihime muse is dead. Things just don't come to me anymore. This chapter has taken a more than a year to take shape, surely that tells you something. Anyway, here's a snapshot update on all my fics.

Loved you Twice Over:- On temporary hold.

Trust to Hope:- On hold, indefinitely.

Lost in Time:- Discontinued.

And as for me, I felt like I'd stopped learning from fanfics and it was time for me to move on to other things. Now I'm concentrating on original novels and I must say I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Finally, I'd like to thank Cerice Belle without whom I could do nothing. Love you girl, you're the best!

As usual, R&R.

Chapter 24

Blue eyebrows knitted together in a tight frown as Grimmjow looked at the unconscious, prone form of Ulquiorra. Beside him, Orihime stood fidgeting with her fingers nervously.

"What's wrong with him Grimmjow? Why is he not getting up?"

The hollow shook his head, "Fuck! I honestly don't know. I've never seen something like this in my life… death… fuck I don't know. I don't know. Where the fuck are the two Shinigamis? Aren't they supposed to be guarding you? Fuck all job they do of it!"

Orihime opened her mouth to reply but a familiar voice from the door interrupted them, "Missing us already, Adjucas?"

The two spun on their heels to find Ichigo and Rukia standing at the door. The shorter Shinigami quirked an eyebrow at her partner and walked into Orihime's apartment. She kneeled next to the couch where Ulquiorra lay almost motionless, completely ignoring the staring contest between Grimmjow and Ichigo.

"How long has he been like this?" Rukia asked.

Orihime crouched next to her, "Two hours now. I don't know what's going on."

"His reiatsu's all over the place," Rukia muttered worriedly.

"I don't know what's going on," Orihime said again. "What do I do?"

Meanwhile Ichigo sauntered in, his eyes still glaring at the Adjucas. "Is there anything you can do about it Rukia?"

The small Shinigami shook her head, "This is beyond me."

Orihime crumpled on to the floor, clutching her hair in her fists, "If only I had not gone to Hueco Mundo on that fool's errand. All of this is my fault."

"Yeah, it kinda is," Ichigo spoke, earning a dirty glare from Rukia.

"So you can't do jackshit," Rukia shook her head at Grimmjow's question. "Well then, call your boss. That Urahara guy. It's about fucking time that the fucker showed his mug."

Ichigo stood up straighter, "Oh hell no! I'm not calling him just 'cause you ask."

Something stirred in Orihime's mind and she shot up to her feet, "Call him Ichigo. NOW. I want to meet him. It's high time he showed up."

"No!" Ichigo insisted. "Look Orihime…"

"Shh," Rukia interrupted, her cell phone held up to her ear. "Urahara, we need you at Orihime's apartment."

A couple of monosyllable answers later, Rukia hung up and almost instantly Ichigo erupted. "What the hell Rukia? You know we're supposed to keep him out of this for as long as we can."

Grimmjow guffawed before Rukia could respond, "Keep him out of this? That's fucking priceless!"

Ichigo spun to stare at the hollow, "The hell do you mean?"

"You don't even know what the fuck is going on, do you?" Grimmjow asked silkily. "You clueless lamb. Urahara is neck deep in this shit. He's the one who's pulling all the strings you asshole. Open your eyes and see it."

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, still sitting on the floor.

It was Orihime who responded, "My entire life has been the result of Urahara's meddling. He is the one who betrayed Tsuruga, resulting in his death. That grief resulted in Akazumi's death and eventually Tsuruga's hollowfication. When Akazumi was reborn as me, he was the one who took me away from my biological parents and gave me to the Inoues. He was the one who placed the seal on my reiatsu. He's been watching me all my life, taking decisions for me. Whatever mess I am in, he is responsible for it. It's high time he spoke up."

Ichigo looked like he wanted to protest but Rukia stood up and said, "He seems to agree with you. He's on his way and should be here any minute."

The four slipped into a strained silence, the women looking at Ulquiorra and the men staring at each other, hostility radiating off them in waves. It was an uncomfortable five minutes before a knock sounded on the door.

"Good evening everyone," the haori clad Shinigami said jauntily, walking in the apartment with a bounce on his steps. "Or maybe I should say good night given the time, but that would mean a farewell and not a greeting right?"

Orihime and Grimmjow could only gape while Rukia rolled her eyes. Ichigo apparently had no patience for the older shinigami's flippancy and screamed, "Why are you here? I thought you wanted to stay hidden?"

"Yes, but now it was time I showed up," Urahara replied casually as he strode over to Ulquiorra and studied the unconscious hollow carefully. "His reiatsu is erratic and jumpy. Fascinating."

Orihime's eyes narrowed, "Fascinating?" her voice sounded shrill to her own ears. "He's lying unconscious and all you can say is 'fascinating'? Is there anything you can do about it?"

Urahara shook his head, "No. But surely you know that Orihime. This is your doing after all."

"What?" four voices chorused at the same time.

Urahara's lips twitched in a small smile, "Think back Orihime. What happened with Sora?"

"Sora?" Orihime whispered. "What does he have to do with all this?"

"Shinigami, stop dicking around," Grimmjow spat. "Tell us straight what you mean."

Urahara tsked, "For an immortal being, you really have no patience. Just giving an answer won't help anyone. Orihime needs to understand what's going on. So on to Sora. What happened to him after he attacked you Orihime."

"Ulquiorra deflected his attack and he fled," she answered puzzled.

"Then?"

"Then… Ulquiorra told me to let him go and I did."

"And?"

"And Sora stopped being a hollow and became a ghost."

"Bingo."

"Wait," Rukia interrupted. "You mean to say that somehow Ulquiorra is reversing his hollowfication?"

"That's fucking ridiculous!" Grimmjow spat. "Ulquiorra is not a two bit hollow who can be changed."

"Exactly," Ichigo agreed. "Besides, from what I know, Sora was not a hollow but on the verge of being one. Ulquiorra is a Vasto Lorde. How could the two be the same?"

Urahara nodded, "I'm not saying they're same. But yes, Ulquiorra is reversing his hollowfication. Thanks to Orihime."

"How?" she breathed.

"There is a reason why hollows forget their past," Urahara answered. "Their past grounds them to their humanity. By forgetting it, the hollow moves away from its humanity. But remembering its past can be very dangerous for a hollow."

"No shit!" Grimmjow drawled. "He went all batspada on our collective asses here."

"You all were lucky that Starrk and Hallibel showed up when they did," Urahara replied, a hint of steel in his voice. "Otherwise you all could've been Ulquiorra's next meal."

When the macabre and sombre proclamation met with complete silence Urahara continued, "Yes, remembering his past meant that he remembered his madness as well. But that's not all. By remembering his past, he has re-forged the connection he'd lost with his humanity. Normally that alone might not be enough for him to reverse his hollowfication, he's a Vasto Lorde after all. He needs more, something that Orihime gave him. He needs to bond with the human he loved while he was a human himself."

"When you say bonding-," Grimmjow began but Orihime overrode him hurriedly. "Technicalities don't matter. What matters is what's going to happen now?"

"That, I don't know," Urahara said sheepishly. "I just know that in theory it's possible. But you see… something like this has never happened."

"Wait!" Rukia said, her eyes narrowing shrewdly. "How long have you known about this 'theory'?"

"A couple of centuries now," he answered with a big grin. "Took quite a bit of research I admit."

Something clicked in Orihime's mind and she strode straight up to the Shinigami, her eyes narrowed, "A couple of centuries huh? Why do I have the feeling that all this 'research' has something to do with me? Or better still, my very existence?"

"No, no Orihime," Ichigo began. "Surely you're being dramatic."

"No she isn't," Grimmjow piped up. "If something smells like shit, it probably is"

"Nice proverb," Ichigo drawled sarcastically. Completely missing the snark, the hollow grinned, "Isn't it? Made it myself."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Ignoring the two, Urahara smiled at Orihime, "Not just you Orihime, it has to do with all three of us. I owed Tsuruga and Akazumi a debt. This was my repayment."

Not expecting the answer, all Orihime could do was gape at him.

For the first time a trace of sorrow showed on Urahara's face as he settled down on a chair, "As you probably have figured out by now, I was the Shinigami that betrayed Tsuruga. I honestly didn't know how far reaching the consequences of my action would be. I was young and naïve and idealistic. I was firmly convinced that Tsuruga was making a mistake. I thought that by telling the Miyagis, I was helping him. I never thought it would result in their deaths. And then, I slowly saw Tsuruga descend into complete madness and I was responsible for it. I watched him for centuries as he moved from being a basic hollow to a Vasto Lorde, completely moving away from who he was and I was to blame."

He cast his eyes at the still unmoving form of Ulquiorra before continuing, "I was desperate. I wanted to do something. Took me a long time to find out that there was a way to reverse hollowfication. I just needed to find Akazumi. Not an easy task because she was part human and part Shinigami. Meaning she could be anywhere, Rukongai or Seireitei. I searched everywhere for her for decades before I found her in a small district of Rukongai. Not surprisingly, she didn't want to listen to me. It wasn't until I showed her what happened to Tsuruga that she was willing to listen."

"Meanwhile, a Shinigami friend of mine fell in love with a human woman and they were expecting a child. I convinced Akazumi to be born as their kid. However, as luck would have it, my Shinigami friend died. The grief was unsettling for his wife and she died soon after childbirth."

"And so you gave me to the Inoues, without telling them what I was or what to expect? Genius move!"

Urahara gave a half smile, "Yes, I didn't think things would go as they did. I had planned to come over and explain things to them soon. But time passes differently in Earth and for supernatural beings. When I did finally come, I was too late. The Inoues were already scared and they weren't willing to listen to me. A few years later, Sora came to me and I explained everything to him. He was the one who asked me to wipe your memories and block off your reiatsu till such time that you are mature enough to understand and deal with the situation. We were planning to do that on your twenty fourth birthday."

"But Sora died before that," Orihime whispered.

"Yes. I somehow didn't think you would take my words as truth, given that we'd never met. So I did the next best thing, led you to the same place Ulquiorra lived in. It helped that the concussion you had weakened the seal enough for your reiatsu to start leaking."

"Wait, lead me to the apartment?"

"A little memory modification," Rukia answered. "Basic Shinigami tactics."

Urahara nodded in agreement, "Once Ulquiorra and you met, it was just a matter of time before things started to fall in place."

"So why are we here?" Ichigo asked.

"Precaution. I didn't think Ulquiorra would harm Orihime, but I needed to be sure that nothing untoward happened. Things were going just as planned when something unexpected happened."

Grimmjow grinned, "I popped up."

"And caused quite a stir," Urahara added. "I was worried things were going to blow up. But somehow, you managed to make things better. You tracked down Orihime's parents. You also took her to Hueco Mundo and while it was a pretty stupid thing to do, on the hind sight, it helped. Your intervention allowed Ulquiorra to remember his past life much faster than he would have if everything was left as it was."

The hollow was ecstatic, "I knew it! I'm the hero!"

"Oh shut up!" Ichigo snapped.

"So I was right. You did plan everything," Orihime said, marginally surprised to realize that she wasn't angry.

"Yes," Urahara agreed

"There's still one question," Ichigo spoke up. "You said I was going to find something at the end of all this."

"Ah yes!" Urahara slapped a hand on his head. "How unmindful of me. Hang on."

He flipped out a phone and dialled a number, "Yeah, time for you to show up. And Ichigo is here."

The four of them exchanged perplexed looks. Silence was awkward and Orihime, unsure of what to do, walked over to Ulquiorra and settled on the floor next to him. Suddenly a loud voice sounded.

"ICHIGO! MY DARLING SON!"

Ichigo's eyes widened, "What the -," He was unable to finish the statement as a fist met with his jaw in a resounding punch.

"What the heck old man!" Ichigo screamed and gave his father a roundhouse kick on his face.

"Ah!" Isshin said, grabbing his jaw. "My son! Always the strong one."

Grimmjow eyed the duo in confusion, leaned towards Rukia and asked in an audible whisper, "Do I wanna know?"

"Probably not."

"Umm Isshin," Urahara said, cutting off the bizarre reunion. "There's someone I want you to meet. Isshin, this is Orihime. Orihime, Isshin. Ichigo's father."

Orihime gave a tentative smile, "Hi."

Isshin however was looking at her as if he had seen a ghost. "Ishiro?"

"Sorry?" Orihime was clueless. But Ichigo seemed to have understood more than anyone else, "Uncle? You mean she is…My uncle was the Shinigami friend you were talking about, Urahara?"

"Indeed."

"She looks exactly like Ishiro," Isshin was saying. "How did you not see it Ichigo?"

The orange haired Shinigami held up a hand, "Hey! I met uncle a long time ago. I didn't exactly remember his face."

"So, it means the two of you are cousins?" Grimmjow asked incredulously, and then guffawed. "Oh man! This is fucking priceless!"

"Sorry to interrupt the happy family reunion, but I need some help here," Ulquiorra's voice startled everyone.

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime ran up to him. "What's going on? How are you feeling?"

"I can't breathe, my chest feels heavy," he said with considerable effort as he pushed the blanket off himself. To everyone's surprise, the hollow hole in his sternum appeared to be shrinking.

"Your hollowfication, it's reversing!" Orihime gasped. "Urahara was right."

Ulquiorra had barely registered the sentence when something unexpected happened. Abruptly, a whorl of green reiatsu escaped from his shrinking hollow hole and enveloped him, eliciting a surprised gasp from everyone in the room. Each pair of eyes was focussed on the mini whirlpool of reiatsu around the hollow, no one quite sure of how to react.

Just as suddenly the whirlpool had started, it dissipated, revealing a heaving Ulquiorra standing on his feet and in his Vasto Lorde form.

"Ulquiorra?" Orihime ventured uncertainly.

He raised a trembling, clawed hand to his sternum, his hollow hole shrinking to a pinprick. He looked up and Orihime discerned a mild shadow of confusion. "This is most disconcerting," Ulquiorra said. "The feeling is not pleasant."

Orihime made to reach up to him when Ulquiorra shook his head, "No. Don't come near me. Something is wrong."

Grimmjow and Orihime exchanged a worried glance and the Adjucas spoke, "What do you mean something's wrong?" He fixed his cerulean gaze on to Urahara and demanded, "What the fuck is going on?"

"I… I don't know," Urahara exclaimed. "I didn't know something like this was going to happen."

"The fuck do you mean you didn't know?" Ichigo screamed surprising everyone. "There's no telling what's going to happen here. Everyone's here. You've possibly put everyone here in danger and –"

Ichigo's uncharacteristic rant was abruptly cut short by a simple "Oh," from Ulquiorra.

Six head swivelled to him and Orihime let out a shrill cry. The miniscule hollow hole had closed and the tip of one of his horns had started to dissolve and turn to ash.

"I see," Ulquiorra said in an absolutely calm voice. "It's time."

"Time?" Orihime whispered. "Time for what?"

"Time for me to go," he answered simply. Nothing in his voice betrayed the fact that he was slowly but steadily disintegrating. "Thank you Orihime for showing me the heart."

"N-n-no," Orihime shuddered.

Ulquiorra raised his taloned hand towards Orihime. Wiping her tears off fiercely she raised her hand but it was a moment too late. Her hand clutched the empty air, his hand dissolving into ash. "No! No! Ulquiorra!"

"Farewell Orihime," were the last words of Ulquiorra Schiffer as he disintegrated completely, leaving behind a softly falling patina of ash. Orihime stood still, her hand still outstretched, clasping on to thin air.

A/N: You a sad panda? Don't be. There be an epilogue.