A/N: Hi, and welcome to chapter 4! Thanks for all the reviews so far! Believe it: they really encourage me to work harder and faster!

Again: I warn everyone that this story is rated „M" for a reason! But if you're afraid things would get as far as a full rape scene, let me quickly assure you: no. It will get close, but no. Just no.

Chapter 4

'Oh, Nel-chan!' Orihime exclaimed, the tears rolling down her face again. 'I'm so glad to see you!'

Neliel came closer, and sat down to the side of the bed. She raised her eyes, and gave the other woman a half-smile.

'Are you all right?' she asked gently.

Orihime brushed the tears away.

'Yes... I think so...' she answered, bravely fighting for her voice to be level.

'Orihime...' Nel said in a low voice, leaning closer. 'I... I hope you'll believe me when I say, that I didn't betray you! I didn't, I swear!'

Orihime looked confused.

'Betray? What do you mean?'

'I didn't tell him where to find you! It wasn't me! I even lied for you: he told me about his dreams, but I never told him I knew you! I never even told him that you really existed! I didn't reveal your identity! If he ever finds out I kept this from him, I'll be in trouble! And I didn't know he was searching for you... I swear I would have come to warn you, had I known...'

'It's all right Nel-chan! It's not your fault. He wasn't searching for me. He just found me... It was a coincidence!'

'Coincidence...' Nel repeated, looking thoughtful. 'I don't know... Seems like a BIG coincidence...'

Both woman looked down, an uncomfortable silence stretching between them.

'He's been kind of obsessed with you lately, to tell the truth...' Nel finally said.

Orihime looked up despite herself, and couldn't help some warming emotions surge through her heart.

'Really?'

After all it was flattering that out of everything and everyone, it was her memory that he seemed to somehow have brought with him to his after life. She couldn't help wondering whether this was a proof of the strength of his former affections. But then she scolded herself: she mustn't think like this! He had made it clear: he was not Kurosaki Ichigo... not her Ichigo. Not any more. He was a hollow. And hollows didn't have a heart...

'Hey... I should probably give you something to wear...' Nel said suddenly, pointing to Orihime's ruined shirt, who blushed. 'And maybe something to eat? Come on! Let's go to my room! It will be more comfy there!'

Orihime froze.

'Can I?'

'Of course! Screw Ichi if he wants to keep his GUEST locked up! He still doesn't know how to treat a lady fine! Come! I'll show you around!'

…...

Neliel served her a late dinner, and she ate quietly, not really having an appetite, but forcing down bite after bite. They were inside her room, which was certainly brighter and more welcoming than the one in which she had waken up. There were pictures on the walls, clearly the occupant's own designs. There were more furniture: chairs, a little table, and a chest of drawers, with a mirror above it. Orihime only chanced one hesitant peek inside it, to check on the lime-green shirt Neliel had given her. It fitted her nicely. The problem was her own face. It was unhealthily white, with purple circles around her eyes. Also, there were forming bruises all around her neck, reminders of the violence she just suffered... She would heal them later, but right now, she kept them purposefully: she needed the evidence to keep her resolve... To be able to see clearly.

While she ate, Nel started telling her how she met Ichigo, and Orihime listened to her bittersweet story with constantly varying feelings.

'… I was sacred, because Peche and Dondochakka weren't around. They found a nice sandpit as a playground and were in the middle of a sandcastle building contest! So they never noticed that I was in trouble. I really though I was done for... But Ichi found me. He said to the monster: "Hey! Pick somebody your own size, Ugly!" Then he attacked, and teared that brute to pieces! I recognized him of course, and ran to him joyfully, but he just threw me of off him like: "What's the idea, Midget! Don't get under my feel, or I might just step on you! I didn't do it to save you, I just felt like it!"

It took a while until I realized he didn't remember me at all... I was sad... but even then, I wanted to stay with him. So I did. He was rough at first, trying to chase me away. But he got used to me with time, and later to Peche and Dondochakka too, and we became a family! Then Gil joined us, and Vasco, I guess you'll meet them later... and we built this home together!

I was so happy with things! But Ichi... he wasn't. He always seemed to be missing something... When I realized this, it pained me too... I tried everything to cheer him up, but it was no use. It must have been around that time, that I abandoned my child form, and grown up again. I must have felt it was not a child he needed beside him, and answered that need unconsciously. Only... he didn't want me this way either... I didn't understand. I mean: I'm not that hideous, am I? And I though that we really suit each other...

Then he told me about his dreams. His dreams of you. I... I got to admit, I was jealous... I'm sorry... I know you must have loved him dearly, that much I could gather even as a child as I watched you watching him fight Grimmjaw... But let's face it: the way you two are now, there's no chance this could work. A human and a hollow... You'd only bring out the worst in the other... That's why I'm so sad he was able to find you after all.

I only want him to be happy... And I... I'm telling you all this, because I still feel... I'm certain, that I could make him happy, if only he would let me... If only he could forget you...'

Pity squeezed Orihime's heart.

'Oh, Nel-chan...'

Nel startled, because Orihime suddenly sprang to her feet, and jumped to embrace her neck with a fierce hug.

'Thank you! Thank you for loving him so much!' she whispered.

Neliel hugged her back.

They would have stayed like that for who knows how long, but the tender moment was broken by a knock on the door.

'Ready or not, here we come!' a voice sang, and Orihime drew back, squeaking in alarm.

'Oh, Peche, you startled her!' Neliel scolded the hollow who just struck his head inside.

'Aren't we playing hide and seek? Come on, we're board!' Peche complained in a whining voice.

'Yeah! Doesn't Nel want to play with us?' Dondochakka asked, coming in too. 'She never wants to play any more! She leaves us all alone!' the large headed hollow started crying, waterfalls of tears rolling down from the eye-holes on his mask.

Nel smiled sadly.

'I'm sorry!' she looked at Orihime, sighing. 'Growing up is never easy...'

…...

Ichigo was standing alone in the darkness, under the constantly night sky of Hueco Mundo. He choose a large boulder to study the never changing, colorless, depressing scene from. Ever since he had waken up here, he could somehow remember blue sky... Though it was strange, that the clouds on that sky always moved vertically, and he couldn't remember any sun, but that blue, cloudy sky had somehow always felt more welcome to him than what he had to live with.

This had always disturbed him. And he wished he wouldn't remember at all...

Now he could remember more even more. More with every minute... His brain provided the information bit by bit, the lot not yet wanting to fit together. A face, a name, a place. Meaningless bits without a clear string to tread them on. But he could feel it coming. Patience was not his best virtue, but he would just have to deal with it. The result would change his life... whether it would be for the better of for the worse...

'My Lord!'

Ichigo spun around, startled, but relaxed a moment later, as he recognized the familiar spiritual pressure of the man drawing near him. He scowled.

'Ah, bullshit! Cut with the crap already! How many times must I tell you, Gil: don't "LORD" me!'

The sandy haired, electric blue eyed arrancar looked as innocent and cute like a little boy. But Ichigo knew his strength: he was a very capable fighter when needed. His zanpakuto was at his side, a unique, lightning shaped blade.

'I'm sorry, sir!' Gil said, looking at him seriously.

Ichigo shook his head.

'Ichigo.'

'Ichigo, sir!'

'You're hopeless... fucking irritating, the whole bunch of you!'

The sandy haired arrancar blushed.

'What was it that you wanted to say, Gil?'

'Oh, yes! We have information, that Cayo have returned from the human world too. We're waiting your orders!'

Ichigo made an inpatient sound.

'Couldn't care less at the moment!'

'But... but...! You were so impatient to follow him! I though... I don't understand!'

'Look, I already told you!' Ichigo spat. 'Cayo and I have an issue! If I have an opportunity to get at him, I certainly will! He's so big headed, parading along as "King of all hollows", I just can't stand that! But that doesn't mean I have any intention to take his place! I'm not interested in it! Can you grasp that? That's your dream with Vasco, not mine!' he fumed.

Gil remained silent for a while, hanging his head.

'You would be a much better leader...' he finally said.

'Sorry! I want to be my own master... not everybody else's!' Ichigo answered impassively.

'I guess the true reason you don't act now, because at the moment you're more interested in being the master of that little bitch you hide down there!' said a new, sharp voice. A long black haired arrancar joined their group. He was tall, and in contrast with the other two, who were somewhat normally dressed, he only wore white hakamas, and nothing on the upper part of his body, except a necklace of fangs.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

'None of your business, Vasco!'

'Can't blame you... she's a freaking' hot chick to be sure! Though why would you need a human like her, when you already have Neliel is beside me, but hey! No offense! To each his own!'

Ichigo barred his teeth.

'Fuck off! You know there is nothing between Neliel and me! There never was to begin with!'

Gil looked up, his eyes shining with a strange light. But Vasco only laughed.

'Yeah! Tell that to someone who would actually believe it! I see how she looks at you! Or do you mean to tell me, you wouldn't even be pissed if I just took the little centauress and played some riding with her?'

Ichigo snarled, and grabbed the hilt of his sword. Vasco grinned evilly, and did the same.

'No! You mustn't fight again!' Gil tried to intervene desperately.

But the two arrancars were already surrounded by swirling spiritual pressure.

'All right then...' Gil sighed, defeated. 'At least move this somewhere else, please! Remember last time? It took a week until we somewhat restored the house!'

'Don't worry, Gil!' Ichigo called, now grinning himself. 'You know this Rascal just can't go any length of time without me kicking his ass!'

'Now that's more like it, Sucker!' Vasco returned the insult easily. 'I was starting to think there was something wrong with you... with that pansy-ass, human-like expression on your face!'

…...

Orihime lay awake inside the dark room. She knew she needed the sleep, after all the emotional exhaustion of the day, but she just couldn't. She felt numb inside. She supposed she should feel a lot of emotions: sadness, loss, fear. She would even understand feeling some positive emotions to some extent. After all for one whole year she kept secretly longing for some connection, any kind of connection with him, who had so long been the meaning of her life.

Well... now she had it...

She supposed she must still be in shock. That would answer why she felt so empty, only knowing how she felt, not actually feeling it. Everything seemed just like a bad dream to her, and even though she knew better, she embraced the excuse to postpone accepting reality...

As she lay there, she suddenly froze. There was no sound, not even a coming breeze to warn her, as the door opened. Yet she could tell he had come... The force of his spiritual pressure on her was enough to steal her breath. But she didn't move, or make a sound. She only closed her eyes.

'This is not happening! There's no way this could be real...'

…...

She was there on the bed, right where he last left her. And she was all his. He would MAKE her his. Her long auburn locks of hair were spread all over the pillow, framing her perfect features, her face being as white as the sheets. She would have seemed like a marble statue, as she lay there completely still, but she also seemed small and utterly fragile...

And fucking beautiful...

Mouthwateringly desirable...

He could no longer bear being away from her, so he just climbed over her, and started kissing as he pleased, marking a route down from her forehead to her jawline, and past it, into the crook of her neck. His tongue tried the taste of her skin experimentally, where it was the most delicate, and found that it was just as maddeningly good as he remembered it...

He felt the urgent need to kiss her properly on the lips, to be able to get even more. He raised his head, but stopped, when he noticed her closed eyes.

'Look at me!' he ordered. 'I know you are awake, so look at me!'

She did. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing the deep gray pools of her eyes. Ichigo looked in them, searching. He scowled. There was something wrong with her eyes...

But it didn't matter: he just kissed her anyway. Her lips parted yieldingly enough under his own, letting him invade, but there was no response, no resistance, nothing at all... It was like kissing a rag-doll.

He didn't know why, but he felt anger, and it made him kiss even fiercer. But it made no difference, she remained just as impassive as before.

'Hey... What's wrong?' he asked, trying some forced gentleness, just to see the reaction.

There was none. She remained silent, still with that emptiness in her eyes.

'Fine! Don't answer... Like I care...'

He reached behind his back, and with one forceful thug, he pulled the upper half of his robe free from his belt, and pulling it over his head, he tossed it away to the ground. Then he bent down, kissing again, and attacking with his hands at the same time, trying to undress the girl too. He either wanted to see lust, or fear... Either was fine with him... Either had it's charm... But no reaction at all, that confused him. And made him angry.

He continued to work on her, touching and kissing, trying everything he could think of, being more and more rough. He desperately wanted to shatter her resolve, because he was sure she was doing this on purpose. And he was not used to being beaten... Not used to being denied what he wanted...

'Damn it!' he cursed.

Even his nail-mark adored her skin now, on her arm. She only whimpered a little at the pain, but didn't show either of the emotions he wanted to see...

He realized this wouldn't work... He just didn't want her like that...

He finally drew back, releasing her altogether, sitting down to the floor next to the bed. His fists balled up in his helpless rage, and he punched the floor, only earning a pain in his knuckles. He looked back at her face: her eyes were still open, looking up at the ceiling above expressionlessly, her breathing even. He bitterly wondered how on earth could she seem more far away now, being there right beside him, than when she only existed in his dreams...

…...

A/N: Hope that was ok... I don't really know what's IC for Ichigo as he is now, since I'm working with my own concept, and it's neither Ichi, or Hichi, but an arrancar turned Ichigo.

I know that Nel is sad, and I hope I'm not straining your patience too much with all the love triangles here... :-)

I guessed that since Orihime's power is rejecting, she could be good with mental rejecting too...

I'm not that found of creating OCs, and prefer using canon characters where ever I can (Bleach has already too many characters in my opinion...), but I actually think I did all right here, with Gil and Vasco (spanish names by the way). And of course every story needs a villain (Cayo).

Please review, and tell me what you think!