My New Beginning

Chapter 5; Death's Gift

A/N: Warning this is not Beta'd. I'm looking for someone. So if anyone wants to take on the job message me. Disclaimer: I do not only Bleach but I do own this plot bitches.

Orihime sobbed over Grimmjow's broken form, as blood continued to flow from his lifeless body and circled around her in crimson rivulets. "Somebody help me!" she begged as screams and pleads tore from her throat and her dainty hands grasped his shirt, and her slim fingers ran over his cold skin- searching for some semblance of life and warmth in the body beneath her. When none where found, her sobs doubled and Orihime threw her body against his- salty tears mixing with vermillion patterns.

The teenager continued to mourn over her fallen friend, once enemy, when the taps of hurried footsteps echoed in the silence of the night and mixed with the echoes of her tears. Pulling his body to hers she frantically looked up- hoping that whoever would enter that alleyway would be Gin and not some passerby who would most likely call 911 and rip her friend from her arms. And her big gray eyes met sad red, no longer hidden behind eyelids and no smile to mask his true emotions. Gin pulled Orihime into his arms speaking lightly to avoid startling her, "Shhh 'Hime. We can still 'elp Grimm, ya? Don' forget- we 'ave ya. Yar' ability is ta reject events, ne? Help me ta get Grimm-kitty inta tha car so ya can heal 'im, 'fore anyone sees." Nodding lightly into his chest, hope and determination once again flaring in her vibrant orbs- Orihime stood wiping tears and blood from her eyes. Reaching down to grab Grimmjow's torso and cradle his head, Gin grabbed his feet and the pair carried their dead friend into the car.

Gin put the car in reverse before darting down the street, weaving in and out of lanes in an attempt to get back to their home, all the while glancing into his mirrors to peer at the two inhabitants in the back. After what seemed like an overly enormous amount of time- they finally made it back to their home. Pulling Grimmjow's arms around both of their necks, they slowly made their way into the house. That way, if any neighbors were to peel their eyes away from their TV screens, they would see two people dragging a drunk friend into the confines of the house.

Gin and Orihime carried Grimmjow into a reishi created room underneath the house. Gin pressed his head against the wall, emiting his reiatsu throughout the room and suddenly the room switched to a blank room, equipped with some medical supplies - perfect for bringing the dead back to life.

Ulquiorra sat by the bar eyes trained on Nnoitra, his had fiddling with his phone. 'Gin hasn't called me back since I told him Grimmjow was missing. They should've found him by now. I hope everything is alright.' With a sigh, Ulquiorra grabbed Nnoitra away from a woman who was obviously not interested in his non-subtle advances. "Nnoitra we will be leaving in an hour. Enjoy your limited time while you have it. And it might be a good idea to avoid trying your advances on obviously unwilling participants." Nnoitra drunkenly responded, "Du-u-ude ya'are s-uccc-hic-h a spo-oil spor-ta ma-yn. Hic- whyawanna ri-ne all ma funnnnn emo-clowyn. " Ulquiorra swatted away the hand that had gotten to close to his face during Nnoitra's drunken ramble. He wrinkled his nose in distaste before saying, "Nnoitra I believe the word is ruin and I do not. I have a bad feeling and I would like to return home as soon as possible."

Nnoitra nodded and drunkenly stumbled onto the dance floor to molest another unsespecting beta male or female. Ulquiorra sighed once again before glancing at the clock. 1:27 AM. He sighed, 'I hope Grimmjow is alright.' Before glancing at his raunchy companion and proceeding to race into the crowd to save Nnoitra from yet another violent and furious boyfriend.

Quickly they shed Grimmjow's shirt, yanking it off his limp body. "Hime, ya have to hurry. If he's dead too long than you won't be able to bring him back." She nodded in understanding.

"Sōten Kisshun!" And suddenly Grimmjow was covered in a glowing golden shield. His wounds slowly began to heal and Orihime's eyes betrayed an emotion not usually known in her eyes. Determination.

I will not let him die.

Ulquiorra drove frantically, filled with a worry not betrayed on his face. Nnoitra flopped around in the backseat, his drunken laugh continuing to fill the car. The hour had ended and Ulquiorra was more than happy to get back to their home. Something about the whole situation was making him uneasy- almost like some part of him could sense Grimmjow and knew that something was wrong. He shifted gears in Grimmjow's car- careful not to drive too uneasily. If any throw up ended up in Grimmjow's car- no matter Grimmjow's physical state- he'd be dead almost instantaneously. The Mustang easily handled turns and the quick shifts in speed. Soon (though in Ulquiorra's mind it had taken an usually long amount of time) they arrived back at their house. Driving into the garage and putting the car into park, he noticed that Gin's BMW F10 was parked in the driveway. Yanking Nnoitra's half asleep drunk form out of the car he dragged the limp form into the house before dumping the body on the couch. He yelled into the dark house, "Orihime! Gin! Grimmjow! Anybody?"

Finally Ayame and Shunó returned to her hairclips and the bloody gunshot wounds no longer decorated his body. His skin was tan and healthy, not deathly pale. His chest rose and fell steadily. A shuddering breath escaped Orihime's lips. "Come on, Hime-chan. Let's get Grimm-kitty back to his room." They once again carried his body through the house, their footsteps echoed through the house as they dregged their way up the stairs.

After making their way to his dark room, Gin changed Grimmjow as Orihime looked the other way. Placing him in his bed, Orihime pulled the blankets up to cover his prone form. Another shuddering breath before she spoke, breaking the silence that seemed to have wrapped itself around the trio, "That was too close Gin. I don't think I could deal with this if anything were to happen to any of the others, especially Ulquiorra. I've already had to watch them die once Gin- I can't do it again. I can't. I mean look what happened to Grimmjow! What happpened to the powerful Sexta Espada! Who could kill someone with the movement of his hand, whose passion was fighting, whose heart was strong and his body even stronger. And he was killed by a human! Kami, I could not do this again, ever." Gin's eyes were once again closed when he said, "I know Hime, I know. But we have to live with it. It's better that they at least have this second chance at life. Even if they are powerless. But with you here, you can finally protect them. You get to be the protector this time, Hime-chan. Jus' don' tell anyone tha' I don' always talk so odd, kay? It woul' ruin ma reputation." She laughed.

Suddenly a very familar voice broke the silence. "Orihime! Gin! Grimmjow! Anybody?" They glanced at each other. "Gin what are we supposed to do! We're covered in blood!" Pushing her out of the room he followed her saying, "Lie your butt of Hime-chan. And put on that face I know you've memorized by now. Taking the stairs two at a time they were quickly faced with Ulquiorra. "What happened?" Gin responded, "He just wandered off drunk before passing out drunk in an alley." Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes, suspicion clear in viridian eyes, as he nodded and pursed his lips lightly." His eyes locked on the red decorating their clothing. He walked over to Orihime, fiddling with the edge of her shirt with his eyes gazing intently at the dark stains on her shirt saying, "What is this?... Is this.. Blood?" Shaking her head frantically she pushed him away. "I- I just spilled some food on me and Gin when we were making snacks... It's no big deal." Ulquiorra looked unsure as he asked, "Are you sure, Orihime?" Gin quickly intervened, creating space between Ulquiorra and Orihime, "'Course i' is, Ulqui-kun! I think everyone needs a good nigh' sleep, ya? So off ya go, I'll deal wit' Nnoi-Nnoi." The two split ways, but what Orihime didn't know was that a familar pair of emerald eyes followed her all the way up the stairs.

The next morning Orihime found herself bargaining her way out of brunch. "Hime-chan are ya sure tha' ya don' wanna come wit' us? I' is tradi'ion afta' all. I'm sure tha' everyone would be more than 'appy ta 'ave ya join us. Ya're parta tha family now- and we always get brunch at Don Cucos tha' first Sunday of every month." The entire clan of former Espada stood just outside the door waiting for Gin and Orihime to finish their conversation. "Oh no, I'm sure Ichimaru-san. I'm not feeling too well and someone has to be here in case Grimmjow-kun wakes up. He'll be like a giant squirrel wtih it's tail in a bunch. Oooo what if the squirrel was a robot and it went to all the stores in California and destroyed all the brocolli it could find... and got me a ton of red bean paste! Oh yeah and then..."

Gin shook his head before inturrpting her ramble, "Hime-chan?"

She stopped rambling and blushed- a rosy pink that overtook her face, enlarged her eyes, and showed the very few light freckles that dotted her cheeks. "Sorry Ichimaru-san. But really, I'm ok. I'm not feeling to well either. I think I ate a few too many sweets last night. Have fun! I'll join you next month!" With a nod Gin agreed before turning to walk out the door. The other teens in and outside the room widened their eyes. Gin was not one for allowing others to do as the please, alone, during family events. Ulquiorra pushed his way through his 'siblings'. "Orihime are you quite sure? It's very unlike you to separate yourself from us. In fact, since you came here it's been your goal to integrate yourself into the family."

Orihime sighed before turning her doe eyes to his piercing emerald orbs- putting up a familar face, "Of course I'm sure Ulquiorra-kun! Like I said I'm not feeling too well, and I'm a little worried about Grimmjow-kun. Don't worry about it, kay?" Ulquiorra nodded his response and replied, "I see. I apologize for emphasizing something that you had already clearly answered." before he ripped his way back outside throwing one last glance over his shoulder at her. I guess Grimmjow means more to her than I previously thought. How foolish of me to think that I would ever hold such a place in her heart.

Orihime closed the door with a sigh. Leaning her back against the wooden frame before sliding defeatedly to the ground. She placed her head in her hands and cried. Kami, are things messed up. She had seen the look in his eyes when he had made his last glance at her. The look in his eyes reminded her of that moment oh so long ago.

The last echo of Ichigo's hollow screams sounded while he was in the form draped in tatooed crimson and black lines spiraling from the hole in his chest. The perfect white mask cracked shattering into pieces as long rivulets of orange locks flew out from his face. The once tan complexion was pale as if in death, his molten chocolate orbs dark and wide- expressionless. Suddenly colored flooded Ichigo's body, the hair disintegrating leaving only familar, short spiky locks. His strong arms braced his body against as he held up his form, "Wasn't there a hole in my chest?" and those chocolate orbs drew over to Ulquiorra. The once strong form was missing an arm, while another leg was missing as well; regeneration slow, and only spinewy muscles twisted into a grotesque beginnning of a leg. "Did I do that to you?... Then cut of my arm and leg too!" Ishida's broken form lay meters away as he screamed out his protests. Ulquiorra moves to comply when suddenly his midnight wings begin turning to ash and those golden orbs lock on Ichigo. "Kill me... hurry up... I no longer have the strength to walk."

Ichigo's eyes widen in the horror of what he had done. "No...This... this is the way I wanted to win!" His tortured screams echoed throughout those dead desert lands. Where pilars stood crumbled from battles once fought and enemies laid slaughtered in the sand- blood seeping from their wounds. And still the backwards moon shone in the forever night. "Even in the end you never did as expected." And the green scelara and golden irises shifted back into familar sparkling emerald. Those oh so familar eyes turned to me. "Just when I was starting to find you guys a little interesting." His hand reaches up and extends to me, "Girl... Are you afraid of me?" The tears drip from my eyes, "I'm not scared." "I see..." And my hand reaches up to touch him, the last thing before death... and just like that- his hand turns to ashes too and then, he's gone. And I can only stand there in sadness and the wind pulls his ashes around me in the air...

And her tears return tenfold. Because those eyes that he showed her then, were much likes the ones now. The eyes that showed that he could no longer have what he wanted. And it ached inside her to know that he could not see the love she felt for him- and even now he was gone before she could show him.

Then suddenly, a scream broke the silence. Orihime raced through the house, up the stairs and to Grimmjow's room. His body violently thrashing on the bed; shouts, whimpers, and screams tore their way out of his throat. She pressed her dainty hands against his body, the sweat seeping out of his clothes. She frantically placed her hand against his forehead- the burning heat searing against her fingertips. Holding him down once again when his thrashing increased she began to talk to him, "Grimmjow calm down! Please, you're safe. You're fine... you're home Grimmjow." Slowly but surely with her continued assurances... his thrashing stopped and he calmed. And then, his eyes snapped open. Grimmjow pushed Orihime away, his look dazed, and she hit the floor. He looked frantically around- not recognizing a thing. "Grimmjow please, calm down. It's ok!" His predatory cerulean gaze locked on her. The two stared at each other for a moment before he pressed his hands to his head and shut his eyes. He sat there for a moment before his eyes opened again.

"Princess? Where the hell am I? And what are you doing here?"

AN: HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY GRIMMJOW! I'm a day late- this was finished yesterday, but I got busy and didn't end up having time to update it. Sorry that it took so long to update. But the next one will be longer. This chapter had a lot of important information and events and I didn't want it to be affected by a huge chapter (besides the fact that I never do really long chapter) I really wanted to make this as long as some of my other chapters, but I'm coming to this blockage with this story. Even though I know what I wanna do I'm ALWAYS really busy and when i'm not- I just wanna relax. If (translation: when) you get mad at how long its taking me to update message me and use curse words and persuasive pleas and it encourages me. I rarely get reviews so I don't have much inspiration (I don't really think that many people watch this story...) to write. The more response I get from you guys the more I want to write. Also I'm gonna promote Fullview 615 which is a group on DA and a blog on Tumblr dedicated to Grimmichi. (It's my secret -not really I write those couple stories- reading pleasure) Ive actually been accepted to write in their group! :) so yeah...