Music to my Heart (A Bleach/Ulquihime fic)

Chapter 25

This story belongs to Cerice Belle at FanFiction.net. I am only publishing it in order to share it with more people. All credits go to her.
--------------------------------

Aizen stood against his desk, arms crossed, watching the group of teenagers before him with malicious amusement.

"Well this is certainly a predicament; I never imagined that there were people who liked you enough to attempt to rescue you, Ulquiorra," he said smoothly. "That or they're just too stupid to think it through."

Nnoitra and Grimmjow grimaced at each other and Orihime cringed. Ulquiorra squeezed her hand tightly, glaring at Aizen.

"My problem now is what to do with you all," Aizen crossed one leg over the other and stared at them lazily. "Gin, keep an eye on the cameras, I don't want any more people coming in unexpectedly," he added absently to his subordinate who moved behind the desk to monitor the surveillance cameras. "I only really need Ulquiorra for my experiments, but I can't let you go as you'll tell the police. I suppose the obvious answer would be to shoot you all and then throw you in the river, but that's so boring."

The door suddenly slammed open and Rangiku ran in, her blonde hair streaming behind her, blue eyes wild as they focused on Gin who looked up at her, the smile gone from his face.

"I-I had to see for myself..." she said, her voice hollow as she stared at him. "So it's true, you really do work for him."

"Friend of yours, Gin?" Aizen asked, his voice laced with amusement.

Gin rearranged a careless smile on his face and gave a shrug, "Not really, sir, just an old acquaintance of mine." A gasp caught in Rangiku's throat and she stepped back, putting a hand to her mouth.

"Rangiku!" exclaimed Rukia and Tatsuki, running in after their friend, followed by Chizuru, Ichigo, Renji and Uryu all of them halting in their tracks as they saw the scene before them.

"Orihime!" cried Tatsuki, Chizuru and Ichigo.

"What are you doing here?" Orihime demanded shrilly.

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra sighed in unison, looking at each other grimly.

"Nelliel and Szayel told us everything," explained Ichigo, "we had to come and help you."

"Tch, of course they did," muttered Nnoitra.

Aizen sighed, "How wonderful, more people to have to deal with." He twirled his gun lazily, the steel glinting in the light of the fire that was making the room unbearably hot. "Kaname." Tosen moved to close the door behind them. "Were your friends always this stupid, Ulquiorra, or is it just you?" His lip curled as Ulquiorra stared at him fiercely, "You truly are a pathetic excuse for a human being, Ulquiorra."

"How dare you!" exclaimed Orihime, stepping forward, her grey eyes blazing.

Ulquiorra tugged her hand urgently, silently begging for her to step back, but she instead pulled her fingers from his grip and walked closer to Aizen until she was glaring at him directly.

Aizen raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"How dare you say such things about him, your own stepson, and about everyone else here! Don't you understand that we all came because we care about each other?" she snapped. Ulquiorra blinked, she suddenly seemed full of life; her red hair was blazing behind her like a banner of fire, she was so furious that the room almost sparked with energy. "But, I suppose you wouldn't understand friendship."