No Place Like Home

Warning this is Yaoi which means boy x boy don’t read if you don’t like.



AN Thank you to satterb, Jennifer, Affie and Rysha for the reviews. I hope you get well Affie, food poisoning is nasty shit and during the holidays too (T _ T). Please enjoy this next chapter.



No Place Like Home.



Chapter Four



The dust cleared and Grim stood staring at the shinigami before him. Blood trickled down Kurosaki’s face but his resolve still beat at Grim’s body. Who would have thought the arrogant little shit would have gotten so strong, so fast? This outcome was…unexpected. Coughing, Grim watched as blood spattered on the sand at his feet. Reaching up, he pressed a hand into his bleeding side. The slash was deep and bleeding heavily. Taking a step towards Ichigo, Grim felt the blood leaking through the fingers that gripped his side. Fuck it hurt. His whole body hurt.



“Heh, shinigami…looks like…I should have taken…that good fuck…over this fight.” Grim ground out as he legs finally gave out beneath him. Dropping to his knees, Grim began coughing again, blood dripping from his lips. Collapsing on the sand, Grim stared at the sky. ‘Just my fucking luck….’ he thought to himself as he lay there, blood beginning to pool around him from his wound. He just didn’t have the energy to move. One of the downsides of releasing your zanpakuto. Once you return to your normal form, you are completely wiped out. It was a good fight though. Kurosaki had fought honorably and Grim respected him for that. Truthfully, Grim knew without a doubt that should he survive past today, he would hold Kurosaki Ichigo in the highest respect. In the background, he heard the sounds of battle. Lifting his head, Grim saw Ichigo and Nnoitra clashing weapons. The tall slender Espada was completely dominating the battle. It was all Ichigo could do to defend himself and doing a piss poor job of it. A growl gurgled in Grim’s throat.



‘Fucking pussy, just like Nnoitra to wait for me to wear him down before attacking.’ Grim thought. Grim hoped that Kurosaki found some sort of strength and beat the living shit out of the pussy. Closing his eyes, Grim felt the darkness creeping in on him. Was this the end of him? ‘Sucks, I bet Ulquiorra would have been worth giving up on Kurosaki.’ A warm hand over his on brought him back from the brink on the darkness.



Opening his eyes as far as his energy would allow, Grim saw Ulquiorra applying a pressure bandage to the bleeding wound in his side. His eyes were very, very pissed off. Grim didn’t think he had ever seen Ulquiorra to the point of actually radiating anger. Usually, no one could tell if the seemingly emotionless Espada was angry or not. At this moment, there was no doubt in Grim’s mind that Ulquiorra was fucking pissed off. If he was that pissed off, why didn’t he just let him die? Then, Grim realized it wasn’t him that had Ulquiorra radiating anger. It was Kurosaki. Grim knew that if Nnoitra hadn’t arrived, Kurosaki would be dead now. There was no mistaking that Ulquiorra wouldn’t have toyed with him as Nnoitra was doing. He would have slain him then and there.



“Ulquiorra…” whispered Grim, his body convulsing as another spasm of coughing drained what little energy he had left.



“Don’t speak, Szayel is fucking around with two of the intruders but I am taking you to the infirmary and taking care of your injuries myself. Then I’ll deal with you.” said Ulquiorra matter of factly. The brunette picked up Grim bridal style and flash stepped away from the battle. If the shinigami survived Nnoitra, he would deal with him. He had honor and would not interfere in another’s battle, though it irked him that Nnoitra had beaten him to the shinigami. Getting Grimmjow to the infirmary was his priority now. All other things could wait. Ulquiorra was almost to the infirmary when he stopped dead in his tracks. He nearly dropped the injured man as Four extremely powerful reiatsu and an accompaniment of various minor reiatsu washed over his senses. There was no denying that they belonged to shinigami and were no doubt taicho level or higher. The war had begun.



Moving quickly, Ulquiorra carried Grim to the infirmary and settled him on a bed. Ulquiorra wasn’t a healer by any means. He knew enough healing Kidou to heal minor wounds but this one was bad. Not to mention, he was sure that one of Grim’s ribs had punctured his lung. Ulquiorra vowed that if Szayel survived this he would wish he hadn’t. The pink haired Espada would rue the day he fucked around when he should have been on duty. Glancing around the infirmary, Ulquiorra searched for something he could use to close up the cut that continued to bleed. Grimmjow had long since lost consciousness and that sent a shiver of fear into Ulquiorra’s soul. Frustrated, Ulquiorra began pumping his reiatsu into the injured, Grimmjow. At least he could stabilize him before locating one of the more knowledgeable Arrancar to continue the healing of the blue haired man.



“Allow me.” Ulquiorra turned to see Neliel. His eyes widened, he had assumed like most of the others that she had perished. Her clothes were ragged and very much too small. “I always did like kitty-kun even if he did fight with my Itsygo. Itsygo enjoyed the fight so I will help kitty.” Though deadly in battle, Neliel’s fighting skills were rivaled by her skills as a healer. Nnoitra had paid dearly for destroying her. Stepping to the bed, Neliel inhaled deeply and began to regurgitate a thick green tinted liquid over Grim’s entire body. Once his body was coated, she took her hands and pushed all her reiatsu into him. Ulquiorra could see his body convulsing as it was forced to heal much faster than normal.



Ulquiorra stood back and watched her movements with cautious eyes. He didn’t trust those that had never left the complex much less someone that had been missing for a long time. Ulquiorra watched as the deep slash in Grim’s side healed before his eyes, closing up until all that was left was a pink scar. His breathing stabilized as well and Ulquiorra breathed a sigh of relief as the punctured lung appeared to be healed. That particular injury had concerned him greatly.



Grim’s eyes fluttered open. The smiling visage of Neliel gazed down at him. Recognition was followed quickly by disgust as he glanced down at himself covered from neck to hip in thick fluid. The smell wasn’t pleasant either especially to his feline sensitive nose.



“Gods….get this shit off of me before I puke.” yelled Grim with every bit of energy he could muster while fighting not to gag. Which wasn’t much considering Neliel had to supply her on reiatsu to speed up the healing process. Sucking up the fluid, Neliel blinked at Grim then reached down and brought him too her in a powerful hug. Grim growled but didn’t have enough energy to fight her off. Ulquiorra watched the interaction with slight amusement though no one would know it by looking at him.



Neliel stiffened suddenly and her body fell to the ground in convulsions before it exploded into thick pink smoke. The smoke cleared quickly to reveal a little girl version of Neliel. Grim felt his jaw drop and Ulquiorra’s brows were up as far as they could go. Both men looked at the tiny child-like version of Neliel.



“Oy, Too much energy.” whimpered Nel, her tiny body lying limply on the ground. She glanced up at Grim and Ulquiorra with large eyes filled with tears. Jumping on the bed, she buried her face in Grim’s chest and to Ulquiorra’s surprise, Grim cuddled the little girl close. Ulquiorra had never thought Grimmjow the maternal type but as explosions began to rock the complex, he thought it better to set those questions aside for a later date. Gin took that moment to stride determinedly into the infirmary.



“Things are about to get ugly fast. Imma give ya two a choice to escape and hide. Soul Society is gonna destroy every Arrancar and Espada they come across. I have other…issues to deal with. He doesn’t look like he’s in any shape to put up a fight. If ya want to survive I suggest leavin’ now. There is a cave several kilometers to the south. Take him and the child and get the fuck out. I’ve told a few other Arrancar and they should have scattered.” Gin said and without another look turned an walked out once again. Ulquiorra strode after him and grabbed his arm.



“Shouldn’t you be ordering us to fight, Ichimaru-sama? That was the reason we were created.” asked Ulquiorra to an annoyed Gin.



“Ya creation was the work of a mad man who thought he could become a god. I have no intention of continuing with this charade any longer. I suggest ya take care of ya friend and I will take care of Aizen-sama.” snarled Gin and snatching his arm from the grip of Ulquiorra, walked once again down the hall. This time Ulquiorra didn’t follow. He saw the gleam in Ichimaru-sama’s eyes. The way he had said “Aizen-sama” told Ulquiorra that the man would be facing his master. Ulquiorra wasn’t sure how to react. His training told him that he should leave Grim to care for himself and rush to Aizen-sama’s aid. His heart told him something else entirely. Ulquiorra had never thought he had a heart. But lately it had begun to speak to him very loudly. He was breaking all the rules that Aizen-sama had given him. Watching Ichimaru-sama’s body turn the corner and disappear, Ulquiorra decided on his course of action.



“We are leaving.” he said firmly. Grabbing supplies in a sturdy bag, Ulquiorra helped Grim to his feet. The other man groaned as his muscles protested the movement. Neliel may have healed him out of the danger zone but his body was still weak and sore. Nel looked up into Grim’s face and cuddled close. Curling an arm around Grim’s waist, Ulquiorra supported most of his weight as he escorted the two out of the complex. The sounds of battles erupting echoed heavily and Nel whined low in her throat, once again burying her face in Grim’s chest.



A shinigami stepped in their path as they neared the gates that would take them from the complex and into the wild. Ulquiorra took a postion in front of Grim.



“Please step aside and I will not kill you.” said Ulquiorra, his face showing no emotion. The shinigami grinned and drew his weapon. The man didn’t live to fully remove it from his sheath. Ulquiorra moved fast, drawing his own zanpakuto and slicing the shinigami’s throat. The man was dead before he hit the floor. Grim grinned wildly at the beauty of the movement. Ulquiorra vary rarely drew his zanpakuto but it seemed he was not taking chances with shinigami following them. Ulquiorra was a vicious killer. He held little or no remorse in killing. That made him deadly. However, he held a code of honor which was something too few Arrancar and even fewer Espada had. If the man had stepped aside, chances were good he would have lived to fight another battle.



“Fucking idiot.” muttered Grim as they passed the dead body of the shinigami. They had barely made it to the gate an already Grim could feel his body tiring. Groaning, he leaned against the wall to catch his breath. Ulquiorra grabbed the blue haired man and with a slight lift, had Grim hefted over his shoulder. Nel gave a little scream and clutched Grim’s neck in a death grip.



“For fucks sake, Neliel. Let me breath.” gasped Grim but the tiny girl just clenched him harder. Ulquiorra ignored them both and took off towards the south. He had burned up too much energy to flash step with both of them in his arms, so he simply jogged at a steady pace. The trip seemed to last forever in Grim’s mind. His body, already sore from his battle with Kurosaki, developed new aches and pains as he bounced on Ulquiorra’s shoulder. Each step the smaller man took pressed his diaphragm causing him to be somewhat nauseous. Hanging with his head upside down didn’t help either. By the time they finally stopped, Grim lunged from Ulquiorra with every bit of strength he could muster. He collapsed against a boulder and nearly kissed the ground with joy. He never wanted to experience that again.



“Never again, I will die at the end of a zanpakuto before I ever let you carry me like that.” groaned Grim to the stoic man. Ulquiorra just looked at him, his body language telling nothing. Nel curled up against the man and he gently stroked her bone mask. A surprising show of affection from the normally wild and arrogant man. There was definitely more to Grimmjow than meets the eye.



While Grim recovered from the trip, Ulquiorra scouted the area. It was a secure location, easily defendable. Walking in the cave, Ulquiorra was surprised to see it stocked with supplies. It appears Ichimaru-sama had been expecting this outcome. Interesting. Taking stock of the supplies, Ulquiorra noticed several bedrolls, food, kindling for a fire, and various medical supplies. Upon deeper exploration of the cave, he found a natural hot spring. Raising a brow, at the rare sight. There were very few natural water supplies in Hueco Mundo. The land itself nearly incapable of sustaining life other than the Hollows that lived from devouring either souls or each other.



Rolling out a bedroll, Ulquiorra exited the cave and assisted Grim to his feet. The blue haired man stopped when he saw the large amounts of supplies stored in the room.



“What the fuck is all this?” asked Grim, his eyes wide.



“It appears Ichimaru-sama was expecting a visit from the shinigami sooner than Aizen-sama.” supplied Ulquiorra. Lowering Grim carefully to the bed, Ulquiorra began to take stock of the supplies. It was more than enough food to last the group several weeks. Ulquiorra wasn’t sure why Ichimaru-sama had sent them to this obviously well stocked hiding niche but he would make sure to ask him the next time he saw him.



“We have enough supplies to last several weeks. I would suggest staying out of sight for a few days at least. There is also a natural hot spring deeper in the cave.” said Ulquiorra. Grim perked up considerably at the mention of a hot spring. He groaned and shifted again, in an attempt to find a comfortable spot.



“I wonder how the others are doing.” mused Grim. He wasn’t particularly close to many of the Arrancar or his fellow Espada. Many of them he would have killed happily had it not been for Aizen’s laws about attacking each other. However, Aizen was his creator and as such deserved a small amount of respect even if it was grudgingly given. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and focused on the energy signatures vibrating through the air. He could feel the battles around the citadel increasing in energy. The end would come soon. He gasped as he felt a clash of two reiatsu that he would never have imagined.



“Aizen-sama and Ichimaru-sama are battling.” said Ulquiorra quietly. Grimmjow snorted.



“Did you really think they would let everyone else have all the fun. Fuck, if I wasn’t hurt I’d sure as hell be out there as well.” said Grim with a grin. Ulquiorra simply shook his head.



“You misunderstand me. Aizen-sama and Ichimaru-sama are fighting each other.” Grim looked at Ulquiorra as if he had lost his mind. Ichimaru-sama was more devoted to Aizen than any of his creations. The two were nearly joined at the hip in Grimmjow’s opinion. Grim cursed his weakened state. If those two were fighting, it was damn near going to be a battle royal.



“FUCK……I’m missing it.” yelled Grim, annoyance evident on his face. Ulquiorra remained standing, his eyes closed as he deciphered the pulses of reiatsu. Suddenly, he slumped to the ground, his arms falling limply to his side. Grim looked at him, panic tempering his voice.



“Ulquiorra…fuck… what’s the matter?” asked Grim in a panicked voice. Ulquiorra simply shook his head, his eyes staring into nothing.



“He’s dead.”



“Who’s dead?” asked Grim, eyes wide.



“Aizen-sama….his energy signal dissipated completely.” whispered Ulquiorra. Grim didn’t know what to think. He was royally pissed at the man for hurting Ulquiorra but at the same time Aizen had always been a father like figure whom he lived to rebel against. In actuality, Aizen was probably the closest thing Grim had to a father. That Ichimaru-sama had killed him weighed heavily on his mind. What could have turned Ichimaru-sama against him? Grim shook his head, unable to grasp the idea that the man that was nearly a god was dead. Killed by his right hand.



Grim felt a twinge of sadness and glanced at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra was sitting quietly against the wall of the cave. His eyes continued to stare into the darkness, his breathing fast. Grim could have sworn he saw a tear trace down his cheek. Grim knew what was going through the man’s mind.



“Stop those thoughts.” stated Grim. Ulquiorra glanced over at Grim, his emotionless mask back in place.



“And which thoughts are those?” he asked.



“The ones that say you should have fought at Aizen’s side. He may have been our creator but he was a bastard. Miss him if you must but don’t forget that we are Espada. Strongest Hollow there are. Aizen only ruled us because we allowed it.” said Grim before lying on the bed roll once more, his energy sapped.



Ulquiorra stared at the blue-haired man that cuddled the tiny child body of Neliel. The man that rebelled tooth and nail against Aizen and his laws. This man had so many layers that Ulquiorra wasn’t sure if he was Grimmjow. Continuing to sit against the wall, Ulquiorra allowed his mind to come to grips with Aizen-sama’s death. Though he was their ‘father’ there were things that he did that had long since gone against the inbred rules of honor that Ulquiorra lived by. Ulquiorra had for too long allowed those rules to be bent and broken in honor of his ‘father’. Now was the time to morn his lose but also to repair the damage done to the Arrancar. There was much to be done once the dust of battle cleared.



TBC



AN: Hot springs mwhahahahah so many fun things I can do with that *evil gleam* Ok, Gin was a double agent for Soul Society, more specific details can be found in Coming Home. So im not leaving shit out just I don’t want to rewrite everything that has already been discussed. But I think just knowing that Gin is a double agent is enough to understand why he killed Aizen if you don’t want to go and read Coming Home. =DRead and Review. Until next time.