Tia woke up to a small knocking sound on her bedroom door. She glanced over her shoulder at Grimmjow who was purring away, deep asleep. "Come in."

The door creaked open to reveal a very tired Ulquiorra standing in the dark hallway.

Tia pulled up the blankets to her chin to cover her semi-see-through nightdress. "May I help you?"

"I cannot sleep." Came the reply.

"Why?"

"Well.. Orihime isn't here. And I… miss her very much." Ulquiorra confessed, confused about his problem. He had never had trouble falling asleep before in his life. "And I am very… tired."

Tia smiled a little. She knew exactly what was confusing him. "You just… you love Orihime. So, not having her here is… different. And this one here…" She pointed to Grimmjow who let out a yawning 'meow' "Kept me up forever. Until I discovered ear plugs. Anyhow, Ulquiorra. Do you want a couch?'

"I already have one." The First Espada replied, not understanding what she was saying.

"I know you already have one!" Tia snapped, making Ulquiorra jump. "Okay, sorry about that. What I was going to say was… do you need company? I have plenty of-"

Tia sighed. Of course. The stoic one would be the one to instantly curl up between her and Grimmjow like a little child. "Floor…Fine… Stay there."

"…Thanks." Ulquiorra was already half-asleep.

"No problem…" Tia rolled over and closed her eyes.

"LOOK!" Szayel cried the next day. Pointing at the large wrapped box that appeared right out side of Nnoitra's room. "Look at this! And it is not even my birthday!"

"SHH! Tia is still sleeping! And why… " Nnoitra hated to point this out, "Is it addressed to me?"

"Aw… that sucks!" Szayel liked presents… he liked them very much, "Who would want to send you one anyway?"

"You?"

"Oh. You're right." Szayel took the card off and handed it to Nnoitra to read. "What does it say?"

"It says…" Nnoitra wasn't sure if he could read this hand writing or not… It was all… curvy. "Hi, piggle…."

"Give me that!" Szayel snatched the note out of his hands and held it up to his eyes. "It says, Hello, Nnoitra. I found this present for you. This Hollow Vasto Lorde is a traitor and we need to know who gave him classified information about Tia's plans. (Make him talk any way you can.) Please mail us back a report at this address - Eleventh Company - Soul Society - 91119. Don't bother to send the body. Farewell, Yylfordt. Awe.. How nice of him to send us this…" Szayel really wanted to open the box, but figured Nnoitra wanted to do the job. "And here is the note. My brother's cursive is standard, but…You don't know cursive do you?"

"Why would I?" Nnoitra removed the bow and began to shred the paper. "English is hard enough to read. I don't need pretty writing."

"True." Szayel stood back so the box could be set on the hallway in front of Nnoitra's bedroom door. "And what do we have here?"

"Ah…" Nnoitra pulled back the cardboard flaps and looked inside the box. A wide grin spread across his face. "Yummy, yummy frog."

Azzero Jhasion whimpered under the duct tape and rope.

"So, what now?" Szayel asked Nnoitra after he tied the last knot in the rope that hung the Vasto Lorde from the cealing of Zommari's meditation room like a punching bag. The room had not been used since the seventh Espada past so it was rather dusty and neglected. "And are you sure Tia won't mind us turning on the lights?" This was the one place that Ulquiorra had not taped the switches down.

" I don't think so. Not for this. We need to get him to talk.." Nnoitra just wanted to eat the frog. Not beat him up and actually do something productive with his prey. "And then, we eat him."

"Good idea." Szayel agreed, sitting down the wooden floor and crossing his legs. "It's not everyday we get to eat Vasto Lorde. Masked or not. Should give both of us considerable power. Speaking of which, should I finally give in and eat Ciricci? I kind of wanted to see how much stuff I could make out of her, but Tia's ration plan has been leaving me too hungry."

"There will be other hollows." Nnoitra stretched his hands to the sky, figuring it was best to warm up before this interrogation. "I say in times like this, listen to your stomach."

"Good idea. I shall make the second lamp and then get a'munchin'."

Szayel watched Nnoitra do a condensed version of his morning exercises and woke up with a start. "What?!"

"Szayel." Nnoitra couldn't help but laugh. "You fell asleep. Now I am ready to get Froggy over there to talk."

"And? What do you need me for?" Szayel asked, yawning as he sat up. "You're doing all the punching."

"Yeah. I know. But I need you to get a recorder so we can send them a tape back with the information."

"Good idea." Szayel stood up and left the room with the lamp. He soon returned with a video camera and a external Microphone which he set up so not a second would be missed. "And, we are rolling."

"AHHH!" Grimmjow screamed, finding Ulquiorra curled up in the bed between him and Tia. "What is he doing here?!"

"Shh, Grimmjow!" Tia scolded, not wanting to wake the sleeping one. "He was lonely and so… I took pity on him. Now, it is time to get up."

"Tia!" Grimmjow couldn't believe her. "Take pity! This… Emo-thing drooled all over my pillow!"

Ulquiorra sat up. " Um, excuse me, Grimmjow… But I think… you were the one drooling…"

"It was not!" He never, ever, ever, ever drooled. "Tia, Tell him it wasn't-"

"Grimmjow… It was you as it was nice to wake up for once and accidentally roll over onto a dry pillow!"

With that, Grimmjow threw the covers over his head. "Well, excuse me for drooling. I am a big cat."

Tia and Ulquiorra shared a look. One big slobbering cat, that is.

Author's note: Nnoitra is not stupid, it is just that Yylfordt's cursive is akin to the elegant mess of the turn of the 20th century. I doubt Tia, Grimmjow or any of the other Espada could figure it out. And I have iffy-internet at the moment, so you all know.