SexyBVirgo: yes it will be mundane for a bit, kind of catching up with everyone with some action. Just wait till I get my chops back on this! These are all pre written chapters and I have yet to write a new one *studying is zapping my creativity* once it is hopefully behind me later this month I have TONS of ideas waiting for you lovely readers.

PandaMasterX: always nice to hear from you. I hope you enjoy this next installment=)

Nyma: Thanks for your review, I love hearing from readers and am glad you are engrossed in the story. As I told Sexy Virgo these are all pre written chapters that are currently posting as I am studying for a rather beastly 3 day long clinical exam later this month. I cannot wait to get back to writing this story and am so pleased to have a new reader and reviewer. I hope you enjoy the calm before the proverbial storm thats working it's way toward the gang.

A/N: The next installment will be posted slightly early on 3/19 as I will be travelling to the exam site and will be unable to post. As always all of you reading have my gratitude for sticking with me on what started as an idea and has morphed into this story. Please drop me a review as I do love them all. I wish you all a lovely next few weeks and please enjoy this chapter!

Ch.44

Tatsuki yawned and stretched, the sunlight was pouring into her room and she wondered how long she had slept for. Luppi had given her a room with the stipulation that she do some housework, that way she appeared to be a slave, she even dressed in old clothes because it made the story all the more plausible. She was grateful that she had found the people she was here to find, but now what? She had assumed something would happen, but so far nothing had; she had to be patient. She knew everyone was working very hard and even the espada and arrancar were on their side as Aizen had continued to go back on his word time after time. It made sense after all, even the best trained dogs would turn if the were constantly abused.

"Oh you're up!" Yumichika's cheerful voice greeted her as she entered the small kitchen, smiling she nodded. "When you're done with breakfast please get ready, you and I have an appointment with someone" he wiggled his eyebrows and grinned as he sashayed back toward the coffee pot.

The appointment such as it was turned out to be with one Urahara Kisuke, an old pervert who insisted on wearing a questionable choice of head and footwear. Despite this she found him enthralling as he told her of the orbs he designed and how they worked. She couldn't help but smile as he told her that both Rukia and Jushiro had been sent to the living world, each with an orb that would operate only when certain people touched it. He also cautioned it was different for each person, stating he had made it so that no two people could open it the same way. He was a genius, a crazy, perverted, fashion challenged genius!

In hushed tones he had told her of his experiments that he was forced to do on the arrancar and shinigami alike. The horrors he experienced and the trauma it had caused, he shuddered violently as he re told it to her. She listened, her full attention on the man as he unwound the terrible tale of him being here, and the damage his intelligence had caused. He wasn't someone that struck her as being overly emotional, yet as a single tear slid down his cheek she felt her heart clench.

She was silent going home, Yumichika's light chatter filling her ears as they walked along. The man was unflappable; then again he was used to this. Since when did making people experiments become the status quo she wondered. Aizen it seemed treated everyone like they were just objects, mere tools to suit him and his desires; she didn't realize how hard she was biting her lip until a trickle of warm red blood ran down her chin. Freeing her abused lip she felt someone staring at her and noticed a man leaning against the wall, his black hair slicked back and his hooded gaze boring into her steadily. An involuntary shiver ran up her spine and she wondered if she knew the man from somewhere else, but couldn't place him.


Szayel circled the dark orbs sitting on the counter, Jushiro and Rukia had brought something interesting with them indeed. He had never met this Urahara man but he could tell he had more than 2 brain cells to rub together. The design was intricate yet simple, never giving away its true intention, which he was informed was to provide a way back once activated. He had been poking and prodding at them for some time, running various tests on their composition and had come up with no good solutions to coaxing a pathway back to Seireitei from them. Sighing in exasperation he ran his hands through his silky hair right as his rather boisterous mate wandered in the room, a large tan arm slung around Ulquiorra's shoulders. He quickly swept Szayel up into a searing kiss that promised more later and began to launch into his story of his sparring session with Ulquiorra. The dark haired man did not look amused, though his lips quirked up into a smile at Renji's animated reenactment of their fight. Yes, Ulquiorra had slowly come into his own, and the normally ice cold prick he had formerly been was slowly thawing; Szayel bit back laughter as he mentally reminded himself it only took a damn apocalypse to make that head case open up. Renji was so excited because Ulquiorra had actually praised him, which made Szayel blink in shock.

During his re telling of their fight Renji had somehow managed to pick up a bowling ball, as he called them, and was currently softly tossing it from hand to hand. Just as Szayel was about to tell Renji to set it down he shook it, vigorously. With a noise akin to nails on a chalkboard a gargantua ripped open in the living room, dropping the ball Renji skittered backwards and right into Szayel. The two men fell backwards in a heap, a tangle of pink, tan and red as Ulquiorra let out a frustrated sigh above them. Looking up Szayel locked his golden eyes with jade ones as Ulquiorra muttered under his breath.

"Great, now there's THAT" he gestured to the hole "in the living room." His eyes glinted as he looked at Renji, clearly wanting to strangle the shinigami.

"Uhm, shouldn't we be glad we figured it out?" The red head huffed, untangling himself from his rumpled mate and standing.

"Who wants to explain why there is a gargantua in the living room?" A clear voice cut through their conversation, three pairs of eyes turned and saw Byakuya standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Ulquiorra sidled over to him and fit himself under the man's arm; he shot a smug look at Renji.

"Oh, Renji might want to" he intoned noncommittally. Byakuya arched his delicate brows at the redhead and pinned him with a demanding glare.

"Renji" he enunciated slowly "what exactly happened here?" His voice was calm, steady and in a familiar no nonsense tone to Renji. Sensing his dominant's apprehension Szayel spoke up, and in a gesture of comfort gently laid his hand on his mate's prominent hip.

"It appears that somehow Renji was the catalyst for it to activate" he said smoothly, cocking his head to the side slightly. "I am not sure why or how, it reacted when he shook it, and then the gargantua appeared here" he gestured to the yawning black hole in the living room.

"Does this mean we need to find another place to live? It's kind of ruined the house" he heard Starrks voice and saw the brunette standing a few feet behind Byakuya. Slowly he moved forward and into the room, surveying the damage. A shrill squeal sounded as Reina darted into the room followed by Kasai, before anyone knew what was happening she had run into the darkness, her father hot on her heels. As soon as he crossed into the gargantua it snapped closed, the orb vibrated and made a low rumbling sound as it appeared to suck the void back into it.

"What the fuck just happened?" Szayel blinked, his head not quite able to wrap around it. Now Kasai and Reina were gone, or had they been transported to soul society? If so what would happen to them there?


Shuhei was not a stupid man, and he had realized at some point Aizen would make him pay dearly for his actions. Where most people would be living in a constant state of fear he simply didn't care, he was too far gone to care when and what his punishment was. As it turned out he only had to wait a few days, he was feeling better since he fought with Ikkaku and had been visiting Gin everyday at the 4th division. His condition had not changed, and had in fact worsened; as was to be expected. Nonetheless he went each day and talked to his lover, telling him about the day's events, recalling stories of their memories together and telling him what was in his heart. It was during one of these daily visits he was suddenly summoned by Aizen, kissing Gin's pale and clammy forehead he quietly left the room and headed toward the captain's chambers.

His feet made hardly any sounds as he headed down the narrow corridor to where he knew Aizen was waiting for him. He wasn't sorry; he had enjoyed the punch he landed and the subsequent look of shock on Aizen's face. One thing Shuhei had learned in life was people got what they deserved in the end. He had earned the scar on his face from being a cocky fuck in his academy days, the famous Shuhei Hisagi who was top of his class, hadn't even graduated and was a seated officer. Yea, well then he had 3 first years save his ass from a hollow after he had been wounded, and he never made that mistake again. Aizen he knew would get his, and while it may not be from him it would still happen irregardless. Steeling himself for his fate he raised his fist and knocked on the broad wooden door in front of him.

"Shuhei" it was a smooth syllable, like velvet; and unlike velvet it chaffed his very soul. He said nothing in response; he knew why he was there and wanted the bastard to get on with it. Aizen got down off his chair and stalked toward him, looking down his nose the whole time as though Shuhei were simply a stain on the carpet he had to deal with.

"You know why you're here don't you?" He circled Shuhei, eyes roaming over the brunette's lean body. Shuhei felt a cold sensation prickle the hairs on the back of his neck and creep down his spine; he closed his eyes and opened them, remaining quiet. Warm hands moved to the front of his clothing and he felt himself being exposed piece by piece, stilling his body he clenched his jaw. He schooled his features into neutrality and looked straight ahead as Aizen continued to bare his body to the cool night air.