Anon reviews:

Krazylol – Glad you like it so far! I plan to keep Yammy as is, definitely ^^ though I'm not sure bout the Hello Kitty thing…I'd pull out odd things like lucky charms for Hime but not for other characters xD

Chapter 5: Mealtime Mishaps

By the time they had returned to Las Noches, it was early evening. Ulquiorra and Yammy parted ways and Ulquiorra made his way towards the kitchen. The child had ended up missing her mid day meal and she was sure to be hungry.

He looked down at the girl in his arms who was currently sleeping, her head resting against his shoulder. Her face was calm and peaceful looking, completely unaware of the dangers that lurked around her. Blissfully ignorant of the fact that if it were not for Aizen's orders, the Arrancar would have killed her long ago. Ulquiorra detested the girl's naivety though he could no longer hold her at fault for it. After all, she was just a child. She could not see the aura of evil intent that many carried about them, some even brandishing it about pridefully, daring anyone to cross them.

Ulquiorra thought back to earlier in the day when the child had blatantly told off the Quinta Espada for his bad language and then proceeded to physically assault him. He couldn't help but be slightly amused at the Quinta's misfortune and the girl's innocent audacity.

Nearing the entrance to the kitchens, he slowed his pace and finally paused. Staring down at the girl clinging to him, he poked her shoulder, "Wake up, girl." He said, a thin veil of fatigue lacing his voice.

She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and buried her head in his shoulder, ignoring him.

He poked her harder, "Wake up. It is time for your evening meal." He said more firmly.

This time Little Hime stirred and opened her eyes, tiredly peering up at him. "Ulqui?" she asked in a quiet voice, still half asleep.

"Yes. It is time for your evening meal. I'm going to put you down now." He stated, slowly lowering her to the ground. Once her feet touched the solid surface, he let her go, aside from one hand on her shoulder to steady her as she swayed on her feet.

Little Hime stood still for a few moments as she rubbed her eyes and let them readjust. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep but Ulqui was right, it was time for dinner. She was hungry!

"Are you ready, girl?" He asked as he removed his hand from her shoulder and made to open the kitchen door.

She nodded.

Ulquiorra pulled the door open and stepped inside, the child following close behind him.

Inside, he was surprised to find that the kitchen was not empty; in fact, it seemed as if half the Espada were present, along with several Fracción.

Leaning against the middle island were Nnoitra and Halibel, along with Nnoitra's Fracción, Tesla. In the back corner, Grimmjow was kicked back on a sofa, staring out the nearby window, his eyes distant and glassy. Stark was sitting on the end of the couch opposite Grimmjow, his head propped up on his hand, sleeping. In the front right of the room, around the large dining table, sat Gin and Aizen, drinking saki and conversing; probably going over their plot to destroy Soul Society. Loly and Menoly were close by, sneaking covert peeks at their leader.

"Come this way, girl." Ulquiorra order, ignoring the questioning stares of his superiors and subordinates.

Little Hime followed along behind Ulquiorra obediently, as she was still waking up from her brief nap.

Ulquiorra stopped before the freezer and swung it open, revealing a variety of reheatable frozen foods. "Pick something out to eat." He ordered, stepping aside so that the girl could get closer.

Little Hime stepped forward and gazed lazily at all the boxes. Some where red, some were blue, some were white. She couldn't read the letters on them so she decided to pick out the pretty yellow and white box; it reminded her of dandy lions. "That one!" she pointed in front of her.

Ulquiorra reached down and pulled out the macaroni and cheese tv dinner. "Go find a seat while I heat this up." He told her.

Little Hime turned around and started walking through the room. She passed the island and looked up into the green eyes of a lady with spiky blond hair. She seemed to be leaking a soothing, blue, wispy aura. Little Hime smiled up at the Lady as she walked by. Turning her gaze towards the dining table her eyes widened. "Onii-san!" she squealed happily as she raced forward and attached herself to the man's leg. She beamed up at him and basked in the man's warm aura.

"Good evening, Imoto-chan," Aizen greeted as he leaned forward in his chair to peer down at the child. "What brings you here this evening?"

(Imoto-chan = formal Little Sister)

"It's time for dinner!" she said excitedly.

"Is that so? Well then would you like to eat with your Onii-san this evening?" Aizen asked the child, earning him an approving smile from Gin.

Little Hime nodded her head enthusiastically as she thrust her arms out.

Aizen gave Gin a rather sinister smile as he bent down and picked the girl up underneath her arms, turning her so that she sat comfortably in his lap, resting his hands at her sides so she wouldn't fall.

The entire kitchen was oddly silent, aside from the excited babbly and squeals of the young child. Nnoitra shook his head and said nothing, as he continued to sip on the colorful drink he had mixed up. Tesla remained oblivious, as he only had eyes for his master. Halibel just leaned forward and popped her forehead up in her hand, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Grimmjow was still staring off through the window, in his own little world, and Stark remained blissfully asleep.

Loly on the other hand openly stared at the little girl, her eyes shown with envy and her face contorted in disgust. She practically hissed at the little girl as she clenched at the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.

"Loly! Cut it out!" Menoly hissed, glancing fearfully at Aizen who seemingly had eyes only for the human in his lap.

Loly turned and glared daggers at her partner. "How could you be so calm! Look at that little human shit! She's moving in on Aizen-sama!" she hissed under her breath.

Menoly bit back a snicker. "Loly, she's just a child, a naïve, human child at that. What interest could she hold for Aizen-sama in that form?" she asked rationally. "If anything Loly, he only sees her as another mind to exploit. That's it."

"But Menoly!—"

"If you two are finished bickering and talking about me as If I am not here, I feel it would be best if you were to leave, or would you rather I make you leave?" Aizen said casually, still staring down at the child in his lap who was anxiously awaiting her meal.

"A—Aizen-sama!—"

Menoly stood, interrupting her partner, and bowed before their Lord and Master. "Forgive Loly Lord Aizen-sama. She knows not what she is saying, our sincerest apologies Master." With that she grabbed Loly by the arm and yanked her out of the kitchen just as Ulquiorra was making his way to the dining table.

Ulquiorra eyed the two Fracción threateningly as he carried over the small tray of food to the dining table. Turning his eyes forward he was surprised to see the girl planted firmly in his Master's lap. However the surprise quickly turned to confusion and tightly veiled concern.

"Clown!" Little Hime squealed as he approached, she smiled up at him.

He stood there motionless for a moment before Aizen spoke. "Ulquiorra-san, just place the tray in front of her, its fine." He suggested casually, eying the Cuatro Espada before him. He noted that his loyal subordinate seemed confused by his behavior with the child, which was to be expected. He knew his unexpected acceptance of the child would cause questions to surface that nobody dared ask.

"As you command, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra replied emotionlessly, setting the tray and utensils in front of the girl before backing off respectfully and moving to lean against the wall next to the couch.

Ulquiorra watched the girl eat, and he watched Aizen watch the girl eat. He watched how the girl would consume her meal for a few minutes before leaning back to beam up at Aizen, the most powerful being in Hueco Mundo, as if he were really her 'Onii-san.' The child was so naïve, vulnerable, and he could see that Aizen was planning to take advantage of the fact. After all, the child no longer had memories of her own. What better chance to win her trust, devotion and affection?

At the thought of the girl possibly developing an emotional attachment to his Master in the future, his blood began to boil and his chest tightened. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists in his pockets as he tried to suppress the unfamiliar feeling that surged within him.

'What does one more pawn, one more marionette for Aizen to control, matter to me? Why is it that I feel this way?'

The girl let out a loud squeal as she announced to the room that she was done with her dinner.

Aizen chuckled at her, while Gin congratulated the small child.

Ulquiorra suddenly had the urge to rip the girl from Aizen's clutches and get the girl away from the duo, in a vain attempt to protect the child. He opened his eyes to level a glare at the back of his Master's head when the kitchen door swung open and an Arrancar entered in a blur of sonido. He was uncertain to whom it was until he was startled by a loud grunt from his right side.

"Time to wake up, Stark!" Lilynette giggled as she ground her elbow into her other half's groin area.

"What the hell Lil?" Stark groaned as he pushed the teen Arrancar away rather forcefully before covering his groin protectively.

Over at the dining table, Little Hime was trying wriggle out of her Ani's grasp. "Onii-san! Let me go, I wanna play!" she squealed. She looked up into her Ani's face and smiled at him.

(Ani = Informal for Brother)

Aizen smiled back at the child as he removed his hands and let her slide from his lap. He followed her with his eyes and she ran past the Cuatro Espada and stopped before Lilynette. The child seemed so at home in Las Noches with all memories of her past obliviated and forgotten. She was no longer that timid, quiet, woman he had met several months ago. No, she was now a rambunctious, naïve, child; perfect for manipulating. With that thought he turned his gaze back to Gin and signaled that he was leaving.

Little Hime gaped at the small Arrancar. "What are you doing?" she asked, bending up to look at the man who had fallen back asleep on the arm of the couch.

"Elbow bombing." Lilynette said innocently as she elbow bombed Stark in the nuts once again, eliciting a small giggle from Hime.

"God damn it Lil, this is getting old." Stark grumbled, glaring over at the duo as he protectively covered his crotch once more.

"Why?"

"Because it's funny and he's a lazy bastard." Lil said, plopping down on the couch beside Stark. Stark glared at her, but it melted into a smile only seconds later as he wrapped an arm around the small Arrancar.

Little Hime took a good long look at the brunette Arrancar who was now smiling down at Hime. He seemed very confident and emitted a soothing aura that made her want to take a nap. Blinking her eyes she tentatively asked, "Puppy?"

Stark chuckled at this. He found the innocent child refreshing and he was surprised that she could stand to be in his presence. "Nay, little one. Wolf would be more correct." He told her gently.

Little Hime gaped at him causing Lilynette to shake her head in exasperation. "Wolfie!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly up at the Primera Espada.

Stark smirked. "Yes, and that guy over there in the blue hair," he whispered, "is a kitty."

Little Hime went wide eyed and looked over to where Stark was pointing.

Grimmjow was still oblivious to it all. His head was now propped up in his right hand, elbow on the arm of the couch, as he gazed longingly out the window. He wanted to go prowling and he wanted to stalk hollow. After the incident with Ichigo in Karakura Town that had resulted in his arm being sliced off (and then the wound rejected later by the human woman) Aizen had forbade him from even stepping foot outside the Las Noches compound, and if Grimmjow still chose to disobey, his punishment would be death.

The mere thought of Aizen had Grimmjow seething, making his blood boil and his heart race. He wanted nothing more than to disembowel and—"KITTY!" Something squealed and pounced on Grimmjow, elbowing him in the groin, making his whole body writhe in agony. He could vaguely comprehend the fact that Nnoitra was hooting with laughter in the background as he cupped his pride protectively.

"What the fuck? Who the fuck did that?" he roared, lifting his head, darting his eyes back and forth frantically.

Ulquiorra pushed himself off the wall, readying himself to grab his charge as she kneeled on the couch next to the angry and injured Sextra Espada.

"Aww I'm sorry I didn't mean too!" Little Hime cried as she stared at the Kitty in shock. She had wanted the Kitty to cuddle up with her, like the Wolfie cuddled up with the small Arrancar after she had attacked him. She wasn't quite sure what she did wrong but she did know she made the Kitty mad and she felt horrible about it.

"I'm sorry, Kitty." The girl said, tears swimming in her eyes. Grimmjow hissed at the girl and was about to bring a hand back to knock her away when he saw that she was crying. He stared at her in shock, unsure of what to do, the soreness in his groin forgotten.

Little Hime stared at the Kitty through cloudy eyes. "I'm sorry, Kitty." She said again, wiping away her tears to see better. The Kitty was looking up at her with wide eyes and he seemed to be radiating a turbulent blue aura, the same blue as his spiky hair. She smiled as she stood up and reached forward to ruffle the Kitty's hair.

Grimmjow's shock quickly dissipated as his hair was ruffled, an odd feeling of contentment sweeping through him. 'That feels—hey what the hell is the kid doing?' he thought, knocking her hand away lightly and glaring down at her.

Little Hime was unperturbed though and immediately started doing it again. "Be nice, Kitty!" she scolded him.

Grimmjow scowled at the girl before leveling his gaze on Stark. "This is your entire fault you know. Don't think I didn't fucking hear you sick her on me. Bastard!" Grimmjow growled half heartedly as his body slowly relaxed and mind went contentedly blank again.

Stark smirked and Lilynette rolled her eyes at Grimmjow.

Ulquiorra slumped back against the wall once more, once he had ascertained that Grimmjow was no longer a threat to his charge. He watched the girl continue petting the Sexta Espada. He inwardly smirked at the image the two portrayed—it was almost, dare he think it, cute? One thing was for sure, Grimmjow's reputation will never be the same again.

Ulquiorra turned his gaze forward to watch Nnoitra. The Quinta Espada seemed overtly interested in the pair, and it wasn't long before he pushed himself away from the island and stalked over, followed by his ever present Fracción, Tesla.

"What ta fuck ya doin' GrimmKitty, lettin' Ulquiorra's little pet play with you like that?" Nnoitra said bending to look closely between the two.

'How dare he! That fuckin' bastard, I'll kill'm!' Grimmjow made to stand up but stopped midway as Ulquiorra spoke up.

Ulquiorra inwardly bristled at his comment, "The girl is nobodies pet but Aizen-samas, Quinta. I figured Aizen-sama had made the fact perfectly clear." He retorted crisply. In fact, Aizen had made it very clear, especially with the little display he had put on only moments before.

"Tch. What he doesn't know wont hurt'm." Nnoitra replied as he continued to gaze at the girl.

By this time, Little Hime had realized she had Spoony's unwanted attention and stood up on the couch to face him, her little hands on her hips and a glare on her face.

"And what is it you propose to do to the child in a room full of Arrancar that Aizen-sama wouldn't know about eventually anyway?" Ulquiorra shot back flatly, pushing himself off the wall.

Nnoitra glared over at Ulquiorra and ground his jaw uncertainly. The Cuatro Espada had a point, reluctant as he was to admit. That and the Cuatro doubled as the girls guardian, he was under Aizen's orders to protect her at all costs; that included protecting her against his comrades. He would have to wait to get at her another time. He turned back to the girl and smiled at her wickedly. "Just you wait, pet—" He began but was suddenly enshrouded in darkness.

"Spoony is a bad man!"

Grimmjow and Stark bust up in laughter as the Quinta fought to pull his hood back.

"Holy shit you got some balls Princess!" Grimmjow appraised.

Little Hime looked over at the Kitty with a blank face, "huh?" but she was suddenly picked up and was being whisked away from the kitchen via sonido.

"The Quinta Espada will not take lightly to have been humiliated in public twice." Ulquiorra scolded the child mildly. "As amusing as it was, it was an unwise move, girl."

Little Hime pouted but didn't say anything. Instead she focused on the task of not tossing up her dinner due to motion sickness.

Once back in their quarters, he put the little girl down and ordered her to clean herself and get ready for bed. He was about to toss off his jacket and fall into his own when he noticed a small stack of clothing on the table. Picking them up, he realized they were duplicate garments for the girl to wear. Taking one off the stack, he walked over and gave it to her, "here, clean clothing." He said by way of explanation.

Little Hime took it, "dank you." She said.

"No, it's 'thank you.' Now say it correctly." Ulquiorra ordered, wanting to teach the child how to say the phrase properly. Child or not, the improper use of grammar was gradually grating away on his nerves.

"Th—thank you." She said smiling, beaming up at him.

"Good girl." He appraised her turning away and leaving her to clean up.

He tossed his jacket on the desk chair, hung up his zanpakutou and fell forward onto his bed. Closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

"Lumina! Get me the flasks labeled Sub0372 and Sub0396 along with a vial of Sulfuric Acid and for FUCK SAKE DON'T BUMP INTO THE BURNER THIS TIME!" Szayel yelled at his Fracción from his work station. He had worked all through the day and now through the night, and he was tempted to close his eyes and take a momentary break to push away his anger and frustration though knew he could not. This stage of his experiment was at its most critical point and he could afford no distractions whatsoever.

To an outsider, Szayel's work station was chaos. He was surrounded by several waist high, multilevel metal tables. All of which were covered with empty or half filled vials of different colored substances, some of which steamed or bubbled viciously. The table Szayel was currently preoccupied with was occupied by several beakers of different colored liquids and a large Bunsen burner, over which sat a large flask. Inside bubbled a watery green liquid.

Ignoring his fatigue and the hair that continued to dangle dangerously in his face, Szayel picked up a small vial labeled Sub0318 and carefully, slowly, poured it into the hot flask. When the liquids combined the green turned to a bright acidic yellow.

Szayel let out an audible sigh. Wiping his brow, he pushed his now frizzy hair back and took a step back from his work station.

This was Szayel's fifty-second attempt at recreating the accident that had turned the human girl into a child and so far every single attempt had failed at this step. The liquids usually didn't combine right, resulting in an unexpected color or chemical reaction. No, according to his calculations, the experiment was going perfectly.

Taking a moment, he selfishly let his mind wander back to the girl, the child. She was an anomaly to him, one that he was determined to figure out. 'If only I could recreate the chemical reaction that caused the recession of her physical body without the recession of her mind…' a wide grin spread across his face as his amber eyes gleamed. 'Oh the fun I could have with my subordinates and superiors!' "Hee!" he laughed to himself as he practically bounced back to his work station.

"LUMINA! WHERE ARE THOSE FLASKS?" He roared as he eyed the yellow concoction above the Bunsen burner that was starting to smoke and bubble fiercely. Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated and annoyed with his Fracción. If they didn't hurry up, this experiment would be ruined, and he would not be happy!

"LUMINA!—"

"Coming Szayel Aporro-sama!" a large, round Arrancar yelled as it waddled through the doorway on the other side of the room. It carried two large flasks and a vial on a metal sheet which was being held precariously above its head as it tried to maneuver through the many tables, shelves and tubes strewn across the room. Lumina had almost reached him when she tripped over the cord to the Bunsen burner and the substance he had been working on tipped and spilt all over him.

Szayel looked down at himself in shock, completely oblivious the pain from the boiling, burning chemical on his skin. Bracing himself on the metal table before him, he tried to breathe, and could not. He tried to call out for his Fracción and he could not. After several moments his vision began to dim and he lost his grip on the table, slumping to the floor and falling into darkness.

Chapter 6 teaser: Ulquiorra closed his eyes. Grimmjow's were wide and his mouth agape. The Quinta Espada, who had been glaring daggers at the child, couldn't hold back the ridiculous grin that spread across his face as he choked back a laugh.

Grimmjow glared across the table at him.

Tia rolled her eyes at the perverted man. "Mind in the gutter as usual."

AN: So so sorry for not updating! It's been a month I know, I'm not going to lie and make up BS excuses either. I'm a horrible procrastinator, and that's that! I do plan on finishing this fic though, no worries!

And I'm so bad…leaving with a cliffy….don't worry though I have Ch 6 done, I just can't post it till I finish Ch 7 ^^