Pain. So much pain. He didn't want to open his eyes. A small groan left his lips though, it was the only thing that betrayed that he was awake. He tried to remember what had happened to him, but whenever he tried to remember it hurt his head. He could briefly recall his conversation with Gin, but then nothing after he had walked out of the snake's office. Was this the bomb? His eyes shot open and he jolted up. It was a mistake. The throbbing in his head got worse and his vision became blurry. He felt someone lowering him back to the bed.

"Ichigo you really shouldn't push yourself. You took a nasty blow to the head last night. It is a miracle you are even awake. I was worried about you." Aizen's voice was calm, but there was something that slipped inside his tone. Ichigo couldn't make it out, he couldn't even see the man. Well he could see the man, but there were two of him. He knew there was only one at least, well he hoped there was. He couldn't handle two Aizens.

"What are we going to do with you?" Ichigo blinked, he was trying to clear his vision. After what seemed like at least one hundred blinks he had gotten the task completed. Aizen was dangerously close to him, his dark chocolate brown eyes were looking over him.

"Doctor, you can leave him" a female voice had begun to speak, but Aizen simply raised his hand.

"No, I will take over this patient's care, Nurse Kotetsu. You and Dr. Unohana have done all you can for him. I am afraid that this patient is one only I can truly take care of."

"Very well doctor." She then left the room.

Ichigo strained his eyes, Unohana didn't seem to be in the room. It was once again only him and Aizen, and his heart felt like it was going to go right out of his chest.

"What happened" he finally said. His voice sounded far away to his own ears though.

"You were knocked out by one of the newest patients here. Don't worry he was placed into solitary and he shouldn't be a problem for you anymore. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. How's your head doing?" Aizen seemed like he was truly concerned about him.

Ichigo bit his lip, still it only caused pain and did not wake him up. It was worth a try though. He couldn't depend on his body movements to talk for him, he actually had to talk to the man who was beside him. "Meh" he got out, because he couldn't think of any words to tell Aizen how he was feeling. What he really wanted to say was that his head hurt like hell. Though meh seemed like the safest answer at that moment.

Aizen frowned. "Could you be more specific?"

Ichigo licked his lips, before he attempted to speak an answer. "It hurts like hell, but I have had worse."

Aizen looked at him. "Was this in your world you were living in or this life?"

Ichigo looked at him confused this time. He shrugged, it hurt, but he didn't care. "Who knows, but know that I will pull through it just fine."

Aizen wrote something in what looked like a notebook. Ichigo would bet anything it was his patient file though. "Aizen, why was Grimmjow so violent. I mean he always was, but why would he knock me out?" It was all coming back to him now. The Espada had taken ever opportunity to fight him before. Was now just another time? Was this Grimmjow similar to the one he had known, or was he different somehow too? Or maybe Grimmjow also remembered the war. A spark of hope lit up inside of him. The spark meant he would have to seek out Grimmjow and he didn't look forward to that.

"Wrong place wrong time. I believe he was aiming for one of the staff, perhaps even myself. Then there you were. Or perhaps he knocked you out as a distraction to try to get away. It of course didn't work out as he planned if that was the case. I sent him to solitary after all. He doesn't seem to response well to anyone."

Ichigo didn't know if he should help Aizen or not, he would only be digging his hole further. Though he couldn't help the words from leaving his lips as if they were water. "Before in the world that you said was all in my head. Grimmjow was one of yours Espadas. You controlled him, but I think he hated your guts and would do anything to rebel against you. Ulquiorra, also one of your Espadas, was one of the people he would listen to or so it seemed. Ulquiorra was the fourth Espada when Grimmjow was the sixth. The lower the number the higher the power. Ulquiorra seemed to be your favorite. Grimmjow on the other hand had led a rebellion to Karakura Town, which mostly everyone in the rebellion was killed. Grimmjow was the only survivor. He took every opportunity he could to fight me."

Aizen looked at him as if he was interested in what he was saying. "When we broke into Hueco Mundo to rescue my friend Orihime that you had kidnapped. Grimmjow found me again, and had me healed just so he could fight me again. I don't know what happened to him, I had beat him in battle, but the other Espada that had come in during our battle may have killed him." He didn't know why he was telling Aizen the last part, but his words were just pouring out as if they were water and he couldn't stop himself.

"You truly are a special patient. Can you sit up for me?" Ichigo didn't know what he had just done, but he tried to sit up on his own. Aizen reached out to help him, Ichigo found he couldn't flinch away this time. It would cause a pain in his body and it was too much to deal with. Though he was sitting up in bed, it had been a slow process all the same. Aizen was keeping him up though. His vision wasn't that blurred anymore, but the movement had sent his head into another wave of pain. Though he hid the pain from Aizen.

Aizen kept one hand there to steady him, when he used his other hand to get a pill bottle. "Open your hand for me" he said. Ichigo didn't know what kind of pill he was being given, but he couldn't stop himself as he obeyed what Aizen had asked of him. Two white pills were placed into his hand. Aizen placed the pill bottle on the table and brought a glass of water to his lips. Ichigo took the pills on his own taking the glass from Aizen. A few seconds later the pain was slowly starting to creep away. He let out a sigh of relief.

"There we go all that should make everything better." Aizen was smiling at him, Ichigo still thought the man was creepy. He wasn't creepy in the way Gin was, but he was creepy simply because this was not like the Aizen he had known. Ichigo looked up at Aizen. "Why are you doing this for me? I mean the special treatment." Ichigo had no clue about how other doctors acted at mental asylums, but he had a feeling he was getting special treatment.

"It is because I am the only one that can truly work with you. I have vowed to make you better. I promised your father I would help you." There were the words that he didn't want to hear. His talk with Gin came back to his mind. The head doctor and his father were friends and his father had been the one to put him in here.

"I am guessing that Gin told you about my friendship with your father, from the look on your face. Or perhaps you are starting to remember this life you are living right now." Ichigo didn't know what to do, from how Aizen was talking he should remember Aizen as a good person and as his father's friend. Though he didn't know if he should rat Gin out, both options were not good for him.

"Do you think you can stand on your own?" Aizen had thankfully switch the topic. Ichigo slid his feet off to the side of the bed, and attempted to stand. The movement sent him following to the ground, except he was caught by Aizen. "Slow, baby steps. Okay Ichigo." Ichigo flinched away from Aizen though as he was placed back on the bed.

He tried to get up again, this time staying on his feet for a good two minutes before his knees gave out and he went to the floor again. This time he purposely avoid the man's touch. He picked himself back up and was finally able to stand on his own on the third try. "I want you to follow me, you do know you don't have to be so independent. It is okay to accept help every so often."

No it wasn't, not from that man. "I'm fine though" he got out. It was not the answer that Aizen was looking for though. Aizen lead the way out of the room, Ichigo had no choice but to follow the other man. Aizen didn't keep the lead for long, as he soon fell back so he was walking by Ichigo's side. He did not touch him though, for that Ichigo was happy. Ichigo noticed that they were passing into a hallway he didn't remember from Aizen's tour before. "Where are we going anyways?"

"Solitary. What you said made me think, perhaps you are the one that may be able to talk to Grimmjow. Don't worry though, I'll be right outside."

"Right outside! You mean you're putting me in there!" Ichigo couldn't help the way his voice rose. He didn't know if he could handle being put into a closed off room with the guy who had tried to kill him a few times.

"Yes, you won't have a chance to win his trust if I didn't do this. Keep in mind Ichigo that you are a patient if you like it or not. I am a doctor, and Grimmjow won't talk to me because of that fact. Maybe he might talk to you. Ichigo think of this as a form of treatment. It is all to help you, doesn't mean you can't help me in the process." Again this didn't make sense, but Ichigo had sighed and nodded his head in defeat.

Aizen nodded to the guard in front of the solitary unit. "I have another one here for you."

"Doctor Aizen, the other patient is still in the solitary unit. You want me to put this one in there too? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose?"

Aizen looked at the guard. "Yes, remember the name of this room is only solitary. Though it serves as a punishment cell for anyone who misbehaves. Put him in there." Aizen's voice was back to the tone that Ichigo remembered it at. There was the evil war lord. Perhaps this was all cruel reality.

The door was opened and he was pushed into the darkness that was solitary. He did not hear footsteps leaving, meaning Aizen was keeping to his word and staying outside the cell. Ichigo's eyes quickly adjusted to the dark room and saw the blue haired male in the corner of the room, he was on the single bed that laid in the room.

"If it isn't the orange haired kid that I knocked out last night. So they threw you in here with me then. How lucky am I." A sick twist grin had formed on Grimmjow's lips. Ichigo noticed that, and one more thing. The skull fragment that was Grimmjow's hollow mask was gone. There was no way.

Ichigo put on a tough face, if he had to befriend Grimmjow this was the way to do it. "Or perhaps it is I who is lucky" Ichigo said.

The grin on Grimmjow's face widen. "So what is ya name anyways?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki, and yours."

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. I can't say it is nice to meet ya in this place, Strawberry."

Ichigo frowned. "Just call me Ichigo will ya."

"Fine, but how many times do you meet someone who is named strawberry? Not to mention someone with that bright orange hair. I like it though, don't get me wrong."

"My name is actually to protect. Though take it like you want. Wait did you say you like my hair?"

Grimmjow nodded. "Of course, it would be wrong if I was to not like it. I mean how natural is it for someone to have blue hair? You're the first person here that I have come across that has an unnatural color as their normal color, at least it doesn't look dyed."

Ichigo never thought he would be thankful for Grimmjow. "No it isn't dyed, it is my normal color. I guess we have to stick together then." Ichigo hadn't thought anything of the Arrancar's hair color when they had first met. He was too busy trying to defend himself from said Arrancar. Though he seemed to fit in more in the hollow world then in Karakura Town. Hell even in the Soul Society his orange hair stuck out. Sure there was Yachiru with her bright pink hair and then Gin and Isane with their silver hair but his hair color still stood out. Why was he starting to think like this? Grimmjow must have noticed that he had spaced out because he had cleared the distance between them and was waving his hand in front of his eyes.

"Earth to Berry boy, can you hear me?"

"Y…yeah" he got out. Grimmjow was close to him, and he half expected a fight from the other male but Grimmjow simply just grinned at him.

"So berry boy, what were ya thinking about?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Also don't call me berry boy, Grimm-."

Grimmjow smirked at the name. "So we are already coming up with nicknames for each other, sweet. Though it looks like ya cut yourself off from saying the last of my name."

"Grimm kitty" Ichigo got out. Grimmjow started to chuckle at that.

"How the hell did I get the name Grimm kitty? I mean there are far worse name you could call me. As for if I believe ya or not, try me. We are stuck in a room with each other, a good story may be a good thing."

"I was thinking about hair color, okay. Ever since I have been little, people thought I have dyed my hair and I would get into fights a lot. Though it was the color I was born with. I was thinking about well um a place called Hueco Mundo where I fit in better."

"Hueco Mundo? Hollow world?" Grimmjow was looking at him. "Oh don't mind me, continue."

"Then in a place called the Soul Society, there were others, but I still stuck out. I've seen all kind of natural bright colors. There was a natural pink head, green head" he started. He thought about Nel, he wondered what had happened to her.

"I might have to go to this Hueco Mundo place then when I escape this place. How about the nickname, how do you explain that."

Ichigo bit his lip. "This is where you won't believe me."

"Try me."

"You could turn into a kitty_"

Grimmjow frowned "panther."

Ichigo's eyes widen. Had he just gotten a reply from Grimmjow that would make it seem like he also remember something else. It was short lived though as Grimmjow started to laugh. "That was a good one, Ichigo. I think we need to stick together. I may need a good laugh every so often." Grimmjow had dashed his hopes, but there was still a chance that the other male knew more than he was letting up.

"So what are you in here for anyways? I don't mean Solitary but this fucked up place in general."

Ichigo looked at Grimmjow, there was the same question that he himself had asked. Yet he replied to it anyways. "They say I have Schizophrenia" he said remembering what Gin had told him before.

"So you're in here for those stories. I see. They got me for the same thing, but I think they targeted us for our hair. They also say I am violent and needed help, something about an anger problem."

"They would probably say the same thing to me. Maybe they have. I've been knocked out a few times since I got here, so it is all mixed together." Ichigo was for once telling the truth.

"Sorry bout that by the way. So I wasn't the only one?"

Ichigo shook his head. "It isn't a problem Grimm. It's fine. No you weren't the only one. I have only been here for a few days too, I think. I don't know what to think anymore."

Grimmjow nodded. "Don't hurt yourself trying to remember."

Ichigo looked at Grimmjow "oh and Grimm, apparently there is a rule that you're not supposed to ask people what they are here for."

"Who fucking cares about rules, they are made to be broken after all. Though thanks for that warning. Just stay around me and we will be outta here in no time. Don't worry I'm takin ya with me when I break out. Those bastards won't be able to hold us both down. You seem to have a fight spirit after all. I've noticed that much since we have been talkin. So what about it, how about we work together."

"Deal." Ichigo couldn't believe what he was doing. Though he did want to get out of here and Grimmjow was probably his best bet.

"So friends then?"

"Yeah, friends." Grimmjow extended his hand to Ichigo, which Ichigo took and shook it. He never would have thought that he would be friends with Grimmjow, but weirder things had already happened. They had both shook on being friends, and then Grimmjow let his hand drop.

"Now how to get out of this place?"

That was when the door opened. The light was extremely bright after being in the dark cell. "You two are being released" Aizen said as he pulled both of them out of the cell. He patted Ichigo on the back, a gesture that went unnoticed by Grimmjow. Ichigo didn't even flinch at Aizen's touch. He wondered how this was going to go now. Aizen had guided them both back, and into the main hallway. "Ichigo, why don't you show this new patient to the main room. I trust that you can do that now."

Ichigo frowned, but nodded. He just wanted to get away from Aizen now. He looked at Grimmjow "come on, this way."

Grimmjow looked between Ichigo and Aizen, but finally allowed himself to follow Ichigo. When they were a distance away from Aizen, he spoke to Ichigo even if his voice was low. "Why is he just letting us go so easily?"

"Most likely because he has someone else's' life to ruin. Take what you can here, that is what I have learned. Now through these doors is the big room and the only room with windows and a door to the outside." He was being truthful to Grimmjow, it was not all a game. As he pushed opened the double silver doors, he could have sworn he saw a smirk on Grimmjow's face, but he didn't say anything as he went into the room.