Chapter 20

"Heal your face."

It's my turn to dig my nails into Grimmjow's hand then. As he snaps, irritated by the way Orihime just stands there, staring up at him in confusion too close to hopeful to be comfortable, I squeeze his hand in warning. Not that my pitiful strength is enough to do anything more than irritate him further.

"I'm not dragging around girls with beat-up faces," he snaps, finally snatching his hand from mine as he does. I let his hand go easily even as I can't help but stare at him then, incredulous, because, yeah, I don't think there's been a moment where my face hasn't been bloodied and bruised during our limited time together. "So, fix it, now."

The order is clear in those words, Grimmjow obviously sure Orihime will do as he asks with no fuss. Except, Orihime listens to him even less than I do. Stubborn as she is, strong-willed and single-minded in her determination to do the right thing, she hardly ever listens to anyone.

Ichigo included.

So with only one last lingering look, she turns away from us. The only reason Grimmjow doesn't make any attempt to grab her as she bolts is that she moves in the opposite direction from the door, the only escape route available to her.

"You're rude."

Grimmjow lets out a 'tsk' at my words, the annoyance visible on his face even as he makes no move to stop Orihime.

A silence falls over us then. It's an oddly calm one as we watch Orihime heal Loly. And, when Loly swings, catching Orihime across the face, neither of us move. We just watch the whole scene unfold, uncaring because whatever damage Loly may manage to inflict won't last for long.

And isn't that something? How things like injuries and death become meaningless when you have the power of a God at your hands. Because, with Orihime around, death really is meaningless, trivial and something less than permanent even when you're torn to shreds.

To think, that someone could turn the finality of Death into something so temporary.

"That's creepy," I mutter, fighting back the shivers that threaten to overtake me as I watch Orihime reconstruct the missing pieces of Menoly's body from absolutely nothing. Except it's not reconstruction, is it? It's the rejection of its destruction and fuck if that doesn't make it creepier still. "If she can reject fate, does that technically mean she can reject your entire existence?"

"That…," Grimmjow begins, face scrunching up as he crosses his arms across his chest. His whole body reads as utter discomfort at the thought, and I almost feel guilty for being the one to put it in his head. "That's impossible."

"Everything about her is impossible," I tell him, watching as Orihime finally stands, pulling her shield off of Menoly. It's only then that she turns her shield on herself to heal her battered face. "She's a human, one hundred percent human, and yet, the Hōgyoku gave her the powers of a literal god simply because she wanted them."

"Careful," he warns me then, the corner of his lips lifting into a smug grin as he turns his gaze back my way. The look in his eyes is enough to have me instantly cautious if only because it's too close to mischievous to be comfortable. "You're starting to sound just the tiniest bit jealous there."

"Me?" I scoff, unable to fight the smile that pulls up the corners of my lips. My gaze goes back to Orihime just as she finishes healing the last of the bruises on her face. At the sight of the blood fading from her skin, I nudge his side with my elbow. "Her power is neat and all but look where they've landed her. Locked away in Las Noches with her friends sacrificing their lives to free her. I bet you she's regretting every second of being gifted right about now."

"Regret?" Orihime echoes then, turning doe gray eyes our way. They're wide but unfocused, like she's already far away from here, across the endless dunes, and at the side of the boy she's loved since first laid eyes on him. "I could never regret being able to help my friends."

It's only then, as her eyes focus back in on us that I consider how we hadn't been whispering. Everything we've said has clearly reached her in the blaring silence left by Grimmjow's absolute decimation of Menoly and Loly.

I almost apologize for our rudeness, the words sitting on the tip of my tongue, but the apology never makes it out as Grimmjow scoffs. He shoots forward then, stepping over a dazed, newly restored Loly as if he can't be bothered to injure her yet again.

"I don't care about your regrets," he tells her, hand shooting out to grip the front of her clothes. He drags her across the room then, back my way, and all but tosses her at me once he reaches me. "Heal her."

"Shit."

The force of Grimmjow's shove sends her stumbling into me. I catch her before she can knock us both over, though it's a close thing. It's only once she's in my hands that I realize just how truly small she is.

I'm only a year or two older than her, but she feels so much smaller even while she's just an inch or two taller than me. She feels young, reed thin, fragile enough that I can't push her away. Instead, I help steady her, hands holding onto her arms until I'm sure she can stand on her own. And when she looks up at me, gray doe eyes wide. Almost as if she can't believe that I haven't pushed away, she looks more lost than I can bear to witness.

"We don't have time for this," I tell Grimmjow then, hands finally falling off Orihime's arms. Gaze going back to Grimmjow, I don't even wait for him to reply as I nudge Orihime back his way. "Ulquiorra will come looking for us soon, so we have to go."

Despite my warning, Grimmjow doesn't move. Instead, he just stands there, eyebrows drawing closer and closer together the longer his gaze shifts between us. Almost as if he's unsure about to go about it now that it's finally time to start going and I can't help but bark out a laugh once I realize just why we haven't left yet.

"Well, fuck."

"Is something the matter, Grimmjow?" I ask, unable to resist because, yeah. He obviously didn't think this through at all. Now that he's technically taken two people hostage, there's no way he'll be able to carry us both.

With nothing for it, his gaze continues to flick between the two of us. I don't even bother to hide the smug smile that slithers its way across my face then. His scowl deepens at the sight of it.

"Just leave me here," I tell him when he says nothing, already making my way to the couch as I do. It's been tossed about in the scuffle, a few of the pillows having been torn apart, but it's still intact enough to sit on. "Hell, I'll even do you the favor of distracting Ulquiorra from coming after you while Orihime heals Ichigo."

Orihime jerks at that, pulling my gaze back to her just in time to watch the surprise in her eyes fill with hope almost too painful to see. Right, we haven't told her yet just why exactly Grimmjow's whisking her away.

"Ichigo?" she asks, turning her gaze to look up at Grimmjow with misplaced gratitude. Just the sight of it has him 'tsk'-ing. Not that the annoyed sound does anything to throw off the look on Orihime's face. "You're taking me to save Ichigo?"

"Yes, he is," I tell her, butting in before Grimmjow can say anything that might drive her to rebel. Something like how he's only saving Ichigo so he can be the one who kills him. "And you better hurry, Ulquiorra could show up any second now."

"He'll see you as nothing more than a traitor when he does," Grimmjow warns me then, the tone of his voice that same calmness for all that the words should be mocking. A cruel gloat of just how badly all this will turn out for me when I'm found at the scene of the crime.

"No…No, he won't," I tell him, but even I don't believe the words. I can't when everything points to me being more of a willing accomplice in this. While the room is absolutely trashed, covered in blood and scorch marks, there is no Orihime. No sign that I even attempted to stop Grimmjow from taking her.

There is only Menoly and Loly.

Who will no doubt tell Ulquiorra all about how I just stood there and watched as Grimmjow took Orihime away. All while spilling words of encouragement. That I had told Grimmjow to leave me here because there's no way they won't rat me out if it means turning Ulquiorra's attention away from them.

"Well, fuck," I mutter, watching the smirk on his lips grow as he realizes he's damned me. That, thanks to him, I've been branded as just as much of a traitor as he has. And I would be more worried about it if I was actually loyal to Aizen in any way, shape, or form.

But I'm not. I never have been, nor have I ever made a secret of it either. So it doesn't worry me. Still, I wish I had a little more time to actually complete something of worth. As it is, I have nothing to show for my time here.

Ulquiorra still killed Ichigo, Grimmjow still took Orihime, and everyone I want to save are still well on their way to dead within the next few hours. And I will undoubtedly go with them, because staying here, living here, would be pointless without them.

Without Ulquiorra.

"How are you going to carry us both?"

For all he's stupidly strong, it can't be that easy to cart around two people at the same time. Never mind that he has no chains to wrap Orihime in like he did in the story. He's supposed to deliver her to Ichigo in chains, after all. Though whether he picked those up before or after he rescued her from Loly doesn't matter anymore.

I'm so not going to let him tie her up.

Once again, Grimmjow doesn't reply. Though I'm sure this time has less to do with him not knowing how and more to do with him not wanting me to put up a fight as he steps towards us too fast for me to even see him coming.

Almost before I can make sense of the fact that I have yet again been tossed over his shoulder, the world blurs. I shut my eyes instantly, hating the way the world whizzes by too fast to make sense almost as much as I hate the way the air howls past my ears.

"Oh, fuck you."

Grimmjow just laughs, the sound of it whisked away by the wind so I can only tell by the vibrations of it as they spill into me. I don't bother to risk checking to see just how he's carrying Orihime. Instead, I focus on keeping my breathing even as I can while I wait for this hell to end.

It's like a goddamned roll coaster ride and I hate every second of it.

So it isn't until he comes to a sudden stop, the force of it more than enough to have me sliding off his shoulder as he loosens his grip on me, that I realize we've arrived. This time, I don't manage to catch myself.

I crash to the floor with all the grace of a sack of flour. It's only then, as I'm sprawled at his feet that I find out just what made him stop so harshly. It comes in the form of a sobbing, whimpering mess of a toddler. Though it's not just any toddler.

It's Nel.

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.

Who sobs against the ruin remains of the Tower wall. Who's covered in dust, baby soft skin bruised red and busted in places. Who can do nothing more than whimper, terrified gaze locked onto Ichigo's unmoving form almost as if she's afraid to look away. As if he might disappear if she does.

"Ijigo."

And if my heart had ached at the sight of Orihime's lostness, it throbs at Nelliel's despair. At the way she crawls towards him then, ignoring us. Or maybe not even noticing us yet, too stunned by the sight of Ichigo's limp body, glazed unseeing eyes staring off into the distance. At the sight of him dying in front of her eyes and unable to do anything to stop it.

"Please, save Ijigo"

Expect she does notice us. Of course, she does and it's the sight of her, crawling over the rubble, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she pleads for us to help that does it. That has me scrambling to my knees, still more than a little dazed from the trip but entirely uncaring of how the rubble stabs into my skin as I crawl towards her.

"It's okay."

It's second nature then. When I reach her, knees and palms torn and tender from the rubble, it's complete and utter instinct to scoop her up as she wails. To bring her into my chest and soothe her with soft shushes. To let her bury her face into the curve of my neck and cradle her closer still when her wails turn into hiccupping sobs.

"Don't worry," I whisper, lips pressed to the jagged edges of her mask as I continue to rock her. Her arms are wrapped tight around my neck, her little hands tangled deep in my hair, but I don't pull them away. I let her grip them, uncaring of the pain as I soothe her as best as I can. "We'll save your Ichigo."

She sniffles at that, sobs finally trailing off at the promise. I don't look behind me to watch what Grimmjow and Orihime are up to. I'm so focused on Nel and calming her, that I lose track of time. That I forget we don't have enough if it as it and I've wasted all I have left.

So that's how he finds me.

Sat on the floor, knees scraped bloody, palms leaving small streaks of red on Nel's clothes, the bruise on my face fully blossomed into a deep purple mess, and Nel buried in my arms. And I can nothing but gaze up at him in confusion at the sight of him.

He appears before me like a dream, blurring into existence way before he should. He's early. Way too early because Ichigo hasn't been brought back yet.

Orihime's still working on him, still fighting to clear the Reiatsu left buried deep inside his chest. And Grimmjow hasn't started yelling, hadn't started going on and on about how Ichigo's his kill and Ulquiorra will regret ever taking it from him.

"You're early," I tell him, the words breathless because this is bad. "Ulquiorra."

This is really bad.

But even for how bad it is, the relief that fills me at the sight of him is overwhelming. So much so that I don't resist when he holds a hand out to me. Instead, I take it almost instantly, the palms of my hands stinging against the coldness of his skin.

His fingers are careful as they wrap around mine. Slow as if he's worried about agitating the clearly batter skin of my hands. He still pulls me to my feet, though. The movement is sure and steady even as Nel cowers deeper into my neck at the feel of his Reiatsu alone.

"What are you doing?" He asks, gaze on my bloody knees before he pulls me close. Drawing me into his side with one arm wrapped around my waist and uncaring of how Nel only trembles harder the closer she's brought to him. Instead, he pulls me close enough that his lips brush against the crown of my head, pressing into my hair for a just bit too long to be accidental. "Grimmjow?"

"It's okay," I whisper when Nel's whimpers begin again, fresh tears spilling onto the skin of my neck. Caught between the both of us, there's no way to keep her from pressing into Ulquiorra, so instead, I hold her tighter, pressing her face deeper into my neck with my chin. "He won't hurt you."

My words are low, but still more than enough for him to hear. Yet, Ulquiorra doesn't say anything to deny them. Nor does he agree with them of course, but I don't really have to ask him to know that he won't.

Because, for all that Nelliel was actively helping Ichigo out, Ulquiorra never once directly attacked her. The answer as to why is a simple one. She's one of them, and Arrancar and, most importantly, a former Espada. Though if Ulquiorra had recognized her as the latter or just deemed her too weak to waste energy on is anyone's guess.

"What's the matter?" Ulquiorra asks when Grimmjow says nothing. Nel squirms at the sound of his voice, small hands clutching tighter in my hair and leaving me hissing at the sting. "I'm asking you, what do you think you're doing, going out of your way to heal the injuries of an enemy I defeated?"

"Sorry, I's sorry," she sobs then, body going tense in arms for all that her hands release their harsh grip. Ulquiorra pauses at the sound, gaze finally going to the small bundle in my arms, almost as if he's just realized she's there.

"It's okay," I whisper to them both, offering Ulquiorra a smile tinged with all the relief I feel at having him here. At realizing I was wrong about not being able to see him again once the war truly started. "We're okay."

"Are you not going to answer?" He asks Grimmjow then, gaze going back to where he stands by Orihime, who hasn't stopped attempting to heal Ichigo even now. And while I know I should be concerned about how he hasn't woken up yet, his eyes still glazed over and unseeing, I'm not.

The relief of being in Ulquiorra's arm, of seeing him alive and well hits too deep to fill any type of worry over Ichigo. Not that I want Ichigo to stay dead, of course, but he'll be up and running around soon enough, I'm sure of it. Especially given that, even with Ulquiorra's arrival, Orihime hasn't stopped.

"Very well."

There's a finality to his words. The chance for Grimmjow to give some halfway believable lie for just what is happening is long gone. Not that he had one to give or that Ulquiorra cared much to hear it in the first place. Either way, he's here for one thing and one thing only.

"In any event, that woman has been placed in my care by Lord Aizen," he says, the arm wrapped around my waist tightening. The grip isn't harsh enough to hurt, but it's enough to have me realizing things are about to get ugly. "So hand her over."

"Go fuck yourself."

The silence that follows Grimmjow's words is deafening for are all that he hadn't shouted. His voice had been low, the words slow to pass his lips but threatening nonetheless. So much so that we all still. Even Nel's quiet whimpers trail off, her already tense body going completely motionless. No one even dares to breathe as tension thickens the air.

"What…did you say?"

His words come out lower than Grimmjow and are that much more dangerous for it. Yet his grip on me remains the same, the fingers that rest on my hips, barely digging in. But how relaxed he is, how uncaring he comes across as does nothing to weaken the danger he poses.

How powerful he truly is when compared to us all, because, for all his talk, Grimmjow has never been and will never be a match for him.

"What's up with you?" Grimmjow taunts because he has the self-preservation of a fucking dodo (exactly none, that is). Besides him, Orihime shifts almost as if she wants to put as much distance between them as she can. "You're Awfully chatty today, Ulquiorra."

Expect there isn't anywhere for her to go. With her shield still covering Ichigo, struggling to bring life back into his dying body, she has no choice but to stand there, dangerously close to Grimmjow and anything that might come his way.

"I get it," Grimmjow continues to taunt when Ulquiorra doesn't rise to the bait and attack. But he doesn't stay still for long.

No sooner have the words left his mouth than he's shooting forward. Almost too fast to make out. Not that I bother to even attempt to keep sight of him as I flinch into Ulquiorra's side. Covering Nel as best as I can, I press myself into Ulquiorra just as he stops Grimmjow's wild attack with only one hand.

"You're scared to fight me," Grimmjow says then, the words almost a whisper and, when I risk a glance at him, I find his eyes on me. The look in them is almost regretful as his hand begins to glow, the red that bleeds from his palm is impossible to miss with how close I am. "Scared to crush each other."

"No."