A/N: Yay! Another update and it hasn't taken months! xD Thank you for all the nice reviews, I really appreciate them. They make me wanna write. Unfortunately this chapters a lil short :S

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Chapter 14

Ichigo wasn't sure if it was from the loss of blood, or the loss of Grimmjow, but his head was spinning. He couldn't focus on anything for more than a few seconds, and his thoughts were nothing but 'no, no, no'. Tears were in his eyes as he watched where the garganta had closed. He looked around really quickly, the Espada were gone and everyone's attention was on him. He could see their mouths moving, but he couldn't hear their words.

'Please help me.' He thought to himself. He didn't expect a response, but today wasn't a day for expected events.

'So the kings really hit rock bottom now, huh? Kehehehehe. You know, it's funny, I actually LIKED the Espada! Maybe I should save her and make her MY queen, eh?' Ichigo's head perked up at the sound of his inner hollow. They rarely spoke, and when they did, it was usually just threats about taking control... 'Don't sound so surprised. I liked that you were in love with a genocidal Espada. I think it was putting you on the path to becoming a real man!'

Ichigo didn't know what was happening, but he started feeling his wounds close. He felt power flow through his body. What was happening? He looked around and realized that Orihime wasn't anywhere close. How did he... He noticed that his mask was on too. His inner hollow really was back.

Almost instinctively, Ichigo opened his mouth and let out a feral roar, slashing his Zanpakuto across the spot where the garganta had just closed. He could feel power. Lots of power. His hollow was laughing sadistically as Ichigo started to smile. He was going to get Grimmjow back.

It was at that moment that the mask disappeared, and Ichigo fell to his knees. He could hear the voices of everyone around him, but he was too focused on his loss of power.

"No! NO! COME BACK!" He screamed slashing again at the spot where Grimmjow had disappeared. His emotions all hit him like a truck. Tears streamed down his face as he slashed wildly at nothing. He screamed in pain and anger. He couldn't control himself.

He could feel everyone's eyes on him, he caught a glance of them, staring at him with pity and sorrow. Like he needed to be pitied. It pissed him off so much. He hated their eyes...

God, he was starting to sound like Grimmjow. The thought physically hurt him. He screamed again, but this time at his friends.

"What?! What the fuck are you lookin' at?!" He started to draw Zangetsu back to lash out at those damn eyes, but he felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He was angry when he spun around. He saw his dad standing there, nearly crying himself. It was clear it took a lot of willpower for Isshin to keep it in, and Ichigo didn't have it.

He fell into his fathers embrace, weeping like a child.

"I failed her, dad. I failed." Ichigo repeated as his dad kept holding his son.

When the garganta opened again it was in the one place Grimmjow hoped never to see again. Las Noches. She'd managed to stop her tears and replace her expression with her cold apathetic stare she'd mastered long ago, but on the inside she felt as though she was falling apart.

"Welcome home, Grimmjow." That bastards voice drove her insane, but she kept up her front.

"This is not my home." She said coldly. Ulquiorra simply looked towards her with his blank stare.

"That boy has really gotten into your head hasn't he? You know it wouldn't have worked out. You know who... what you are. You're a cold blooded killer. An Espada. And he's just some human who was in over his head. Do you really think he would have stayed with you if he knew what you are? What you really are?" Ulquiorra's words were sharp to Grimmjow, but he managed to say them completely apathetically. Grimmjows front faltered. He hit a sore spot with that one. She'd always tried to avoid the subject with Ichigo, but they both knew what she was. An Espada. Slayer of thousands of souls...

"He won't leave me here, you know that? He's going to save me." Grimmjow spoke harshly and assertively. It was almost like she was trying to convince herself, not him. He could tell. He showed a half smile.

"It seems you've forgotten what it's like here already. I'll have to send you to the lower levels for a while. Until you remember, at least." Ulquiorra glanced at Grimmjow to see her reaction. Her face remained straight, but he could see fear in her eyes. She had a really good poker face, but her eyes always gave her away. He could read her like a book.

"I ain't afraid of you, or whatever you got down there." She spoke firmly, as he called for his Espada to take her away.

Ichigo sat in the spare room at Urahara's shop. Grimmjow's room. He'd stopped crying a few hours after he'd gotten back to the shop, but he didn't talk to anyone. Those were his best friends in there, and he felt like there was nothing they could do to help him. There was no way they could truly understand. His head perked up when he heard the door open. His dad walked into the room. Ichigo remained silent as his dad came into the room and sat next to his son on Grimmjows bed. He put his arm around his kid and they sat there for a few moments.

"Son... There's a time in every man's life where he has to decide what's important to him. You said you failed Grimmjow. Nobody thought that. Not even Grimmjow. There's only one way that you could fail Grimmjow, and that's if you give up on her. You're not gonna do that, right?" Isshin said quietly.

"Never." Ichigo said firmly.

Isshin smiled. He didn't get to have many moments like this with his son. It was one of the fleeting moments where he thought his wife would be proud of him as she looked down on him. Too bad he couldn't let it last. The tension was killing him. He smacked the back of his son's head, sending him crashing to the ground hard. Ichigo looked up, obviously angry.

"Now pick yourself up and get out there. We have to plan another rescue, right? Besides, we sent Hitsugaya-taicho out to request aide from soul society and he should be back any moment now."

Isshin rose and walked out of the room, an angered Ichigo following. In hindsight, Ichigo preferred being angry over sad. When he was angry, he felt empowered, when he was sad, he felt powerless. When Ichigo and Isshin got out to the main room of the store, the mood was similarly somber. Kisuke wasn't as chipper as he always was, the kids were just sitting on the couch, silently playing video games, Orihime, Chad, and Ishida were silently watching Ichigo. Probably judging his mental condition. He still hated that look. After a few moments of silence, a senkai gate opened in the middle of the room.

Out of it walked Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Rukia, and Renji. They were quiet and slow as they left. That couldn't be a good sign. Hitsugaya was the first to speak.

"After informing the Captain Commander of the situation, he said a few words then called for a captains meeting to discuss a plan of action. We were sent here early out of respect," Hitsugaya looked straight at Ichigo before continuing, "We were told to tell you that... the Espada is not on Soul Societies priorities, and a rescue mission is not to be attempted... I'm sorry, Kurosaki, but she was an enemy of Soul Society, and the Captain Commander is not willing to spill Shinigami blood to save her."

Ichigo's response was to be expected. He was about to yell at the short captain, but Urahara beat spoke first, knowing the boy was on the verge.

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Kisuke spoke, more serious than anyone had heard him before.

"Well, she was an enemy not long ago. I don't think its crazy to not expect Soul Society to he-"

"SHUT UP!" Ichigo yelled at the short captain, causing everyone in the room to quiet. "I'm going to Soul Society. Now. You say they're still in the meeting?"

Hitsugaya nodded, but held his hand up.

"I was told not to let you go into Soul Society. I'm sorry." The short captain informed Ichigo.

Suddenly, Ichigo's spiritual pressure seemed to explode from him and he stepped up to the captain, hand on the hilt of Zangetsu.

"And you think you can stop me?" Ichigo asked in a deadly tone that nobody had heard from him before.

A/N: Excitement? Disappointment? How was the chapter? I hope it live up to expectations.