MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

I haven't received any reviews lately, so I'm guessing you're all enjoying the story?

This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, nonetheless, I'll glad I was able to fit it in. It fits right into the story's time frame and ours!

What happened in the last chapter will continue off in the next chapter, sorry!

Christmas; a time of giving and sharing, or at least that's what it's suppose to be. In reality, it's when people spend boatloads of money on themselves and their children. For what? Usually on the most needless things, just to satisfy their shopping crave. This year it will be Grimmjow's first Christmas. He didn't seem too excited when he found out, for he hated the idea of being merry and thankful. Not only that, but also the line ups, and extra screaming kids at the mall all for an old guy dressed up in a red suit. To Grimmjow, Christmas was just another stupid human holiday.

It was a week since the night of dance and was now the last day of school before winter break. Only thirty minutes of class remained. Nicara, Orihime, Ichigo, Rukia, Rangiku, Toshiro, Chad, and Uryu were gathered in a group discussing their plans for the holiday season.

"Are you doing anything special this Christmas, Nicrara?" Orihime asked.

Nicara shook her head. "No, not really. My parents are too busy, so they can't visit. I guess I'm just staying at home. " It seemed like a quiet Christmas for everyone.

"I have an idea, why don't we all do secret Santa?" Orihime suggested. "That way we just buy one gift for one person and we can hand them out to each other on Christmas eve."

"Sure!"

"Yeah, sounds like fun."

Orihime found a box and wrote down everyone's names onto square pieces of papers. "So I've got me, Nicara, Ichigo, Rukia,Toshiro, Rangiku, Rengi, Chad, and Uruyu. Am I missing anybody?"

Nicara looked around the room, spotting Grimmjow sitting in a desk by himself. He looked lonely, she almost felt bad he didn't have any actual friends. "How bout Grimmjow?" Nicara suggested.

Eveyone looked at each other with skeptical faces, unsure what to say.

"Sure, but maybe we should ask him first." Everyone nodded their head in agreement. It wasn't likely that the ex-espada wanted to give presents to a bunch of shinigami.

"Grimmjow!" Nicara called.

"What?" he asked in a bored tone as he made his way over to the group. He stopped a feet away from Nicara, hands in his pockets.

"You wanna do Secret Santa with us?"

"What the hell is secret Santa?" He was a espada after all, he didn't know even know about Christmas until Nicara told him.

"You basically draw someone's name and get them a present without telling them it's from you."

"Why would I want to do that?" he grunted.

"Cause you've got nothing better to do," she stated, and she was right. All he did was sit around the house or go out for a drink. It's not like he ever did homework or chores.

"So?"

Nicara sighed, why did he have to be so stubborn? "Then just do it, Com'on it'll be fun." Grimmjow just stared at her. He didn't say no yet, which meant Nicara could still persuade him. She tugged on Grimmjow's sleeve, bringing his hand out of the pocket, as she made a small pout on her face. "Please..." she urged, batting her eyelashes.

Grimmjow took a second to regain his poseur. He put his hand back into his pockets before grumbling, "Fine. I'll play the dumb Santa game."

Everyone watched in disbelieve. Did Nicara just allure Grimmjow to join them in secret Santa? Doing this required Grimmow to be around the shinigami and buy someone a gift. In a short amount of time this girl was already able to manage Grimmjow. The only way soul society did that was through power and death threats. This girl must really be something.

"Remember if you draw your own name then just pick another."

One by one everyone picked out a name. Grimmjow didn't look too happy, his brows knitted together in frustration.

"How are we suppose to know what to get?" he growled, frustrated. He was already off to a bad start.

"Just try your best," Orihime chimed. "It's the thought that counts."

After school finally ended, Grimmjow and Nicara walked back home together.

"Who's name did you get?"

"Huh, why?"

"You seemed so frustrated. I know you didn't get Ichigo, cause I did."

"I got the pineapple head, the second worst choice. It's your fuckin' fault I'm in this shit."

Nicara laughed. It was actually funny to see Grimmjow taking Secret Santa so seriously. "Oh come on, it's not that bad. It's suppose to be fun remember?"

"What are you getting Kurosaki?"

"I dunno yet, well what do guys like? What would you want for Christmas, huh Grimmjow?" She figured asking Grimmjow advice for Ichigo's present was a good idea. The two were similar after all, as much as they hated to admit it.

"Movies," he stated as if it were the most obvious thing.

"Movies?" she asked, a little surprise with his answer.

"Porn movies."

Nicara almost tripped on her two feet before punching Grimmjow in the arm. "I am not giving Ichigo porn movies to watch!"

Grimmjow clutched his arm, acting hurt. For a girl, it was a pretty decent punch, but it didn't do any damage to his gigai. "Sheesh woman, you're the one who asked."

"Well I was hopping for a decent answer. Never mind, I'll think of something."

. . .

Nicara had gone to work, so Grimmjow decided to go to the mall by himself since there was no one to talk to in the house. He was walking through the mall, trying to think of what to buy for the shinigami when he bumped into Rangiku.

"Oh, Grimmjow, you're just the person I wanted to see. So, who'd you get for secret Santa?"

"The fuckin' pineapple shinigami. It'd be much easier if I picked a girl."

"Like Nicara?"

"Yeah..."

"Well it's your lucky day cause I got Nicara. So how bout it? I know just what to get for Rengi, and you probably know what to get Nicara since you live with her."

"Deal. " They swapped papers and walked in opposite directions, pretending nothing had occurred.

Now Grimmjow had to buy a present for Nicara. He could buy her clothes, make up and all that girly shit. And since she was the one who dragged him into this game, it wouldn't matter if she hated her present. That's when he remembered the first time she took him to the mall she had great interest in a diamond key pendant.

Circling around the mall he attempted to find the jewelry shop. Why did the mall have to be so big? Every twist and turn looked the same as the other. Frustrated, he still couldn't find the damn store. He smartened up and started at the once place he could find, the food court, and retraced his steps from there. Eventually he found the store and took a good look at the silver pendant the girl was looking at during the beginning of the year. It was nice, but over $XXXX, she wasn't kidding when she said it was too expensive.

One of the sales clerk noticed Grimmjow's interest in the necklace. "Hi, are you interested in purchasing this necklace, it's on sale for only one more day at 60% off."

"Yeah, I wanna buy it."

The lady was about to take the locket out of the display but a small frown formed on her face. "Sorry, but it seems like this is the last one left and it's on hold. But I can order one and have it arrive before Christmas."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. As long as I can have it on Christmas eve."

"Is it a present for someone special, or just a friend?" she asked with curiosity as she put the order into the computer.

Grimmjow had to think for a moment before answering. "Yeah,... a special friend..."

It was finally the night of Christmas eve. The group of friends ate at a nearby restaurant and went back to Nicara's house to open presents. Everyone had wrapped their gifts and put them in the same kind of wrapping paper, so no one would know who it was from. They all gathered in Nicara's living room. Orihime looked through the tags and handed the presents to the recipients.

One by one, each person opened their gifts. Most of the girls got make up and accessories, while the guys got clothes or electronics. Rengi opened up his present to find a collection of porn movies. His face blushed beet red while Rangiku was howling with laughter. I guess Grimmjow wasn't kidding about the movies. The last one to open their present was Nicara.

Nicara looked at her present thoughtfully, trying to guess what it might be. It was fairly small, rectangular shape, perhaps a book? That wouldn't be a surprise since she was ranked number two in the class, following closely behind Uryu. Everyone watched as she unwrapped the paper, underneath was a Royal blue velvet case. She opened it slowly, surprised by it's contents.

"How...?" she stuttered. It was the necklace she'd been eyeing at the jewelers. She hadn't bought it yet because she already had a necklace and because it was so pricey. But how would anyone have known? She never told anyone, nor expect anyone to buy her such an expensive gift.

"Aww..., it's so pretty." Orihime complimented.

Nicara nodded, eyes beginning to water, but she held them in. "Yeah, it's beautiful. she agreed. "Thanks," she said to the group, more particularly her secret Santa.

Next the group watched a couple Christmas movies on TV. Some people, like Grimmjow, few asleep halfway through, tired of same 'it's all about giving' message in the movies.

"Would you look at the time, it's almost midnight, maybe we should go now." As everyone left, they said goodnight and wished each other a merry Christmas.

Seeing as it was late, Nicara and Grimmjow got ready for bed. It was already midnight now, but before Nicara turned out the lights she went to visit Grimmjow in his room.

She leaned against the door frame, Grimmjow lying on the bed staring at the celling. She cleared her throat, his eyes immediately flickered in her direction. "So what do you think of your first Christmas?"

Grimmjow, who was now sitting on the bed, shrugged. "It was all right, nothing special," he answered, for he had gotten some cologne and clothes. "You seemed to like your gift."

Being reminded of her new necklace, she smiled. "Yeah..." That's when it hit Nicara. Her secret Santa was Grimmjow. "You got it for me, didn't you?" He didn't answer, or nod his head. Instead he began walking towards her, a huge grin plastered on his face. "How'd you know?"

He stopped a feet in front of Nicara, recalling couple months ago. "From the first time you took me to the mall, you wouldn't stop staring at it."

"Oh... you remembered?"

"Why wouldn't I? You were almost drooling and your eyes were the size of dinner plates."

"Was not!" she pouted, crossing her arms.

Tonight, Grimmjow didn't feel like bickering with Nicara, so he simply said, "Whatever you say, woman."

Surprised by his mature attitude, she decided to stop acting childish as well. She still needed to thank him properly for the necklace. "Thank you," she whispered and leaned in, giving Grimmjow a small peck on the cheek. "Merry Christmas."

Please leave a review or pm me! I'd love to hear some feedback. See you all in 2015!