"We have some important things to discuss," Aizen smiled at her, Ichigo had to admit that the man was somewhat handsome, it was really too bad he was a lunatic. He eased into one of the chairs Nnoitra had kicked around the day before. "You seem to be getting along quite well with Nnoitra, it's smart of you not to wander on his bad side. But thats more than I can say for Grimmjow." He smiled again knowingly.

"What do you want?" Ichigo hated this small talk. This man obviously was here to make her feel weaker than she already felt.

"I require something of yours."

Well of course he did, why would he have readily accept the trade, even Ichigo acknowledged that Orihime's powers were much more useful than her own.

"And you want my permission?" She asked him incredulously.

"Even if you said no, I would still force you to obey me," he chuckled. "You don't quite know it, but you're a very special person. I want you to pass on your... favorable traits."

The orange haired soul reaper was confused, her eyes searched his. It then dawned on her, 'pass on her traits'? It couldn't be this, she pushed herself up and tripped over her own feet, trying to get as far from Aizen as she possibly could.

Her? Have a baby? Was this guy insane?

"Now, now, don't run. I won't be the one. I'll let you choose from one of the Espada."

"Like that makes it better you fucking psychopath!"

"Neh, Ichigo-chan doesn't seem to be taking this well at all," Ichimaru snickered beside the former fifth captain.

"Get out!"

Aizen and Ichimaru left her shortly after, her screaming had yet to subside when the fifth Espada returned. He gave her a puzzled look, mixed with disgust.

"Bitch stop shrieking, you tryin' to make my ears bleed? If you don't shut the fuck up, I'll give ya a reason to scream."

Ichigo calmed herself, have a child with an Espada? She felt sick just looking at them, though she had an inner hollow and understood what they were. They wouldn't be fit to have children. She shuddered as she thought of what monster she would give birth to. Of course it wasn't going to happen though, she'd fight them off, even if she had to die she'd avoid it.

Her interest was peaked though, Arrancar with children? Could these things reproduce?

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Can hollows have children?"

"What?"

The tall Arrancar looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"I mean... like humans, can Arrancar have sex and reproduce like that..."

"The fuck should I know, never stuck around a woman long enough to find out."

Great, they really were like animals, having sex and leaving to fight and get laid somewhere else. She thought about it, she was a human though, well a soul reaper-human, but still. Maybe the hollows could breed, but what would it do to her?

Nnoitra didn't give her a straight answer, and she doubted that Grimmjow could either, so if she wanted an answer fast she's have to wait to see Ichimaru again, even then it wasn't guaranteed, he'd probably just tease her anyway.

"Ichigo-chan."

Speak of the devil.

"Lets go for a walk, Nnoitra, you can go now."

The fifth Espada snarled and whispered under his breath, "Nnoitra, go. Nnoitra, come back. Fucking..." Ichigo didn't catch the last part.

Las Noches was white, sandy and depressing, it was dark and cold. She shivered as they silently walked through something that resembled a courtyard. Ichimaru hadn't said anything since his orders back in her room.

"Have ya' chosen?"

It hadn't even been half a day.

"Personally I'd recommend Starrk, or Ulquiorra. Not that I've slept with em, but they probably won't hurt you. Starrk would make ya' do all the work an' Ulquiorra would go about it as business," He chucked though Ichigo thought he was being a pig. "But hey, of Nnoitra does it for ya', go ahead and choose him, didn't take ya' to be that kind of person."

Maybe she should just jump off the next ledge she saw.

"I don't want any of them." Ichigo stopped abruptly and crossed her arms over her chest. She was still shivering from the cold, but she did her best to appear stone faced. "I don't want to have anything to do with them, or with you."

"Heh, how mean." He feigned hurt.

"Well, they're nothing but animals and you're nothing but a traitor."

"Tell me more Ichigo-chan." He mocked her, putting her hand around her waist. She didn't expect him to use flash step. In the blink of an eye, they were up higher then they were before.

"Do you even know how many people you hurt?"

"I'm aware," he didn't let go of her waist.

"I'm glad Nnoitra had enough sense to take you to Szayel." He said this as he took her limp wrist in his hand and checked it out. "Wasn' too bad of a' injury."

Ichigo yanked her wrist back.

"You just wait, my friends will come for me, they won't just leave me here... If I only still had my Zanpakuto..."

"But ya don't."

His arm traveled up her spine, he was surprised she hadn't pulled away. But Hueco Mundo was cold, she must've realized that without a source of heat she'd be even weaker and with Grimmjow watching her the coming days...

She leaned into him.

"I wasn' joking ya know. About who ya should pick."

The last few days were heavy on her shoulders, she couldn't remember a time she was more helpless, not even when she saw her mother die. Her eyes stung with tears, how could she let this happen to her, she defeated captains in Soul Society, hell, she fought Kenpachi and won.

With a soft whimper she rested her head on his shoulder.

She wondered what Kenpachi would say about this, crying while being held by the enemy. What would any of her friends say?

Ichimaru's arms tightened around her, she was flushed against him, crying.

The worst part of it was that she knew he still had that fake smile on his face. It hurt that, one of the only times she'd ever needed comfort, she still couldn't get it. What she wouldn't do for it to have been Yuzu and Karin holding her. Even Goat-face.

"Let's get you back to yer room."

Another second and they were back in her warm room, she still hadn't let go of him.

"I don't want Grimmjow here."

"He'll be showin' up soon."

"I want... you to stay with me."

"Tonight, we only just me–"

She looked up at him with anger in her eyes.

"Ya don' want Grimmjow at all? Should I ask Aizen-sama to guard ya from now own?"

"...Yes..."

The Espada made her lonely, the traitor was the closest thing she had to her old life. He was evil sure, but even she could tell he had emotions other than fuck and fight.

"Fine," he pulled away from her. "I'll be right back."

He flashed stepped out of the room and Ichigo found herself completely alone for the first time since she traded places with Orihime.

Starrk.

That was the safest choice she could make.

He didn't seem like he would hurt her.

What a crappy turn of events.