Disclaimer: If I own Bleach then why am I writing fanfiction instead of new manga chapters?

Hey all you nice people in the Bleach community. I've recently got back into the writing experiment so I thought I'd make something fun to write and fun to read; you know…one of those summer things. Anyways, been itching to try out writing for Grimmjow and get something done with my new favorite pairing (all others will be from the manga so sorry). I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this Grimm/Soi centric and either way, drop me a review will ya.

Amidst the myriad of black clothed stealth operatives wandering vagrantly around the second division barracks, a sleeveless white Captain's haori was making its way to the Vice-Captain's quarters, leaving dull metallic sounds behind it as two golden rings clashed together with the rise and fall of the legs beneath them. It was summer in Soul Society and a hot one at that; the shriveled remains of cherry blossom petals strewn about over the grounds were proof enough for Captain Soifon; the triple layer of clothing however seemed a bit overkill.

Her subordinates parted before her, their heads hung in a respectful bow until she passed them by where they once again resumed their meandering about in the arid weather, looking for some activity to do so that their minds were kept away from the sweltering heat.

It was nearly half a year since the defeat of Aizen and the end of the Winter War and the list of things to do had all but shrunk into nonexistence in the passing months. Seasons changed, tears had dried, and wounds new and old had mended. Soifon looked down at the left hand that had been given back to her by a certain auburn-headed ryoka and clenched it in testament to the thought as she approached her Vice-Captains residence.

Sliding open the shoji door, Soifon frowned as the desk before her was mysteriously devoid of its usual rotund occupant.

Where the hell has he gotten off to, I have a meeting soon.

"You just missed him," A deep baritone called out from beyond a doorway to the right of the office, prompting the Captain to stride over the masses of paperwork and into a rather elegant lounge where the color purple was unnecessarily prominent throughout the chamber. There sitting sprawled out on a plush daybed was the owner of the earlier voice: a slender black feline.

"Where's that idiot gone, Yoruichi?" Soifon asked blandly as she turned her body to gesture back towards the vacant office before looking back to see a shamelessly naked woman leaning sideways on the very same article of furniture where the cat had been. Now up until a few months ago, the head of the second division would have found her mouth dry at her mentor's antics but her long-standing crush had just recently finished evaporating along with the usage of honorifics since she came to realize the impossibility of taking their relationship any further.

Noticing her former student's lack of reaction, Yoruichi's eyes shimmered with mock hurt as she wiggled upright to converse properly. "You don't find me attractive anymore, is that it, Shaolin?" the tanned ex-Captain whined playfully, leaning back against the cushion with her trademark smirk. Soifon growled at the name but her ferocity was betrayed as the corners of her mouth turned upwards slightly much to the amusement of her friend. "Alright well forget Omaeda," the Captain started, taking a seat from across Yoruichi. "What are you visiting for?"

Yoruichi smiled and drummed her nails across the daybed, her golden eyes rippling with mischief. "The old man invited all of us over from the living world for some sort of special announcement," she replied, noting Soifon's confused expression. "I haven't heard of anything going on at today's meeting and who exactly is this "us" you mentioned?" she asked slowly, not liking being left out of the loop one bit. "Oh you know, all the vets from the war but unfortunately not many of us came. Only me, Ichigo, who's probably just looking for a reason to skip school, and his little girlfriend that he dragged with him."

"No one else, huh?" Soifon commented with mild interest. "Well hopefully Kurosaki will tear down some walls and give my men something to do instead of drinking all day and night," she added dryly, earning a soft laugh from Yoruichi. "I'm sure you can count on it. Anyway, Shinji and his crew didn't want anything to do with Seireitei so they didn't come, pretty much the same story with Kisuke, and the rest are still in school," the dark-skinned goddess explained airily, already anticipating the next question. "So why are you here?" Soifon inquired, leaning forward in her chair in order to shrug off her white haori. "Because I'm a curious little kitty," Yoruichi quipped, raising her hand like a paw and batting at an imaginary piece of string.

The two women chuckled lightly before Soifon's eyes locked narrowly onto Yoruichi's golden orbs. "Bullshit," she muttered, effectively putting her mentor on the defensive. Both assassins stared at each other half-serious until their silent competition was interrupted by a chiming insect fluttering in through one of the open windows.

"Attention, the Captain's meeting will begin in ten minutes. Please regard that this meeting is mandatory and that any absences will not be tolerated," the voice of the Captain-Commander broke out firmly, allowing Soifon's piercing gaze to ease up and Yoruichi to sigh with a victorious smile.

"You've got eight lives left, Yoruichi," Soifon mumbled as she removed her black robes in favor of the backless uniform beneath before donning her white haori.

"Oh," Yoruichi shot up, catching the shorter woman by the wrist before she exited back into the office. "Read this while I get dressed, I'm coming too," she said hurriedly, handing Soifon a wax-sealed letter.

Soifon looked at Yoruichi with a questioning gaze before popping open the note and scanning the hastily written manuscript that adorned it.

My dear Captain,

I have recently been informed of my father's untimely demise and I am returning to my estate to act as head of the family. Please do not replace my position for I will be returning within the next three centuries.

Your loyal second in command,

Marechiyo Omaeda.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Soifon seethed, crumpling up the note and tossing it into the air where it was sheared several times in lightning succession by Suzumebachi. "Do you know what I just read?" the irate Captain shouted over at Yoruichi who had just finished clasping a red lacey bra behind her back and gave her old student a look of mixed humor and sympathy. "Yeah, he told me half an hour ago…it's only about half as funny now as it was then though," she jabbed.

Not one to be outdone… "Second division just seems to be prone to abandonment, doesn't it?" Soifon retorted coldly, inwardly smirking as Yoruichi winced. "Low fucking blow," the goddess snickered darkly, passing into the office and motioning to head out towards first division's meeting chamber until the Captain behind her interjected. "Get back here and put some damn clothes on," Soifon barked, tossing a set of robes into Yoruichi's waiting arms.

"You'll give my whole division a nosebleed if you walk out like that and they've already lost enough fluids in this heat. My numbers are thin enough as it is, Yoruichi," Soifon snarled. She watched in approval as her mentor grudgingly began to make herself presentable. "But it's so hot," she moaned, stamping her foot childishly on the floor.

"Don't care," Soifon remarked wryly. "If you don't want to go out then stay here, you're not a Taicho anyway." Yoruichi grinned as she finished knotting her sash, aiming a mischievous glint in her eyes towards her unnerved friend. "You kiddin'? I've been waiting for this for months," she cooed playfully, regaining her edge over Soifon.

"Damn it, you do know something!" The petite Captain hollered, balling her hands into stern fists. All she could hear were the sounds of mocking laughter and the windy gust of shunpo as Yoruichi disappeared into the muggy early afternoon.

Soifon decelerated in front of the ominous wooden doors leading to the first division's meeting hall, cursing Yoruichi under her breath before entering the large chamber and taking her place amongst the line of officers and for the first time since Aizen's betrayal, the room didn't carry an air of emptiness and tension about it.

What the hell are all these people doing here?

She scanned the room with analytical eyes, ignoring the hail of loud discussion and trailing over the masses of Captains and Vice-Captains. Various efforts had been made to solidify the ranks but they were still lacking a handful of higher-ranking seated officers including two Captains. Abarai Renji had jumped at the chance to command ninth division with Hisagi Shuuhei as his Vice-Captain in an effort to become on par with Kuchiki Byakuya. Kotsubaki Sentarou: the acting Vice-Captain of the thirteenth division had given up his feud with Kotetsu Kiyone and hesitantly filled in Renji's gap as second in command of the sixth division, allowing Ukitake to finally promote Rukia as his second-in-command whether her brother liked it or not. The most notable and tragic change however had occurred when Hinamori Momo suffered unbearable emotional trauma after witnessing the death of Aizen Sousuke, stepping down as Vice-Captain of the fifth division for her inability to perform her duties in exchange for a third seat in the tenth, leaving her squad seriously lacking in leadership.

Rangiku had however intervened in the mental affairs of her new subordinate in a way that only another woman who had lost someone dear to them could, working slowly but surely to return Momo to adequate functionality.

Scowling at the visible absence of Captains Kyouraku and Ukitake, Soifon mumbled something about laziness and hangovers and continued scouting the chamber. Her eyes lingered on Yoruichi for a while as she conversed quietly with Captain Unohana before finding their way over to the resident substitute shinigami who had his arm around the waist of Orihime Inoue.

Damn that kid's reiatsu is absolutely massive now, what has he been doing these past months?

As time passed, the meeting hall became unbearably loud much to the annoyance of the elderly man standing between the lines of officers who unleashed a wave of reiatsu that floored several of the Vice-Captains and even made Soifon a little weak in the knees.

"This meeting will come to order," he bellowed in a tone that commanded absolute authority, immediately calling an end to all discussions.

The meeting from then on was nothing out of the ordinary, if anything it was too ordinary for the disgruntled Captain of the second division who noticed anxious faces wherever she looked. Growing even more heated throughout the painfully long discussion about budget distribution, Soifon found herself bouncing her right leg up and down in anticipation and for what she was feeling; it had better be fucking monumental.

"…which brings us to our final and most controversial announcement," the old Captain began, opening his eyes to let everyone in the room know that what was about to happen should be under no circumstances interpreted lightly. He let the tension hang in the air for a pregnant moment before turning to his moustached Vice-Captain, giving him a curt nod and watching intently as he walked over to the great wooden doors and stopped to await further orders.

"Unbeknownst to but a few of you gathered in this chamber," Yamamoto boomed over the silence, his voice echoing across the expanse of the room. "After the defeat of Aizen Sousuke…" The name caused several officers in the room to break their hard stances and gaze at the floor. "Central forty-six had an offer proposed to them by substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo." All eyes regardless of whatever pain Aizen's name had struck in them were now curiously fixated on the orange-haired teenager. "This proposition was tested over the prolonged period of six months as agreed upon by those parties involved and voted in favor of as of last week."

The elder shinigami surveyed the room as attention was once again focused solely on him. "What I am about to tell you may and most likely will disturb several of you, my fellow Captains and Vice-Captains. Keep in mind that this action has been approved by Soul Society's highest echelon of government and that it is in my personal opinion, a wise and fair choice."

"Enough suspense old man!" Kenpachi yelled out from the line of officers, causing those near him to cringe at the repercussions of what he had just said. However, to everyone's surprise, the old Captain closed his eyes back into narrow slits and smiled slightly. "Very well Zaraki-Taicho," he began. "It is no secret that our ranks have thinned since the Start of the Winter War and as such, our first goal upon victory was to mend our wounds and return the Gotei Thirteen to optimal fighting strength. In the midst of our planning, Kurosaki Ichigo presented a rather stunning and controversial way to fill in several of the more critical gaps in our divisions. The action he requested was to…" For the first time in many years the Captain-Commander found it difficult to maintain a straight face as everyone in the room save a small amount of people, who all had giant grins plastered over their face, held their breath.

Yamamoto sighed explosively. "Bring them in Sasakibe," he ordered his Vice-Captain.

The great wooden doors slid open and for the second time in one day, Soifon found herself yelling, rather uncharacteristically- "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

There in the threshold of the first division's meeting hall, standing next to Shunsui Kyouraku and Juushirou Ukitake were four pieces of ivory gleaming brightly in the afternoon sun.

"Pleasure's all yours, shinigami."

The awestruck silence leftover from Soifon's outburst was now alive with the sounds of zanpakuto being drawn quickly from their sheaths and cries of outrage.

"Eloquently put as always, Grimmjow."

Two successive blasts of reiatsu brought nearly everyone in the room coughing at their knees. Ichigo strode into the center of the room alongside the Captain Commander as he supported a weakened Orihime. "There will be order in this chamber," Yamamoto shouted, bringing his sealed zanpakuto down hard on the ground. Everyone in the room rose to their feet and hesitantly sheathed their weapons as Vice-Captain Sasakibe led the Captains and Arrancar into the meeting hall, doubling back to fetch one of the hybrids and one of the Captains who were leaning against each other for balance and pink in the cheeks. Sasakibe shook his head at the pair who despite being worlds apart, managed to look and act exactly the same; he nodded in thanks as the shortest of the Arrancar came to help him coach the drunken duo into the middle of the gathered shinigami.

Attention slowly but surely returned to Ichigo and the Captain-Commander as they approached the seven figures walking towards them. "What is this," Captain Komamura growled only to be immediately silenced when Yamamoto reached out his hand towards one of the Arrancar and shook with a smile as her hand grasped his firmly. "These, Sajin, are your new officers."

The room once again broke into an uproar.

Ichigo scowled heavily and ran his hand through his hair before looking over to the girl by his side "It might get a little rough in here, you wanna wait outside?" he asked in an apologetic tone. Orihime nodded slowly, her features turning from a small frown to a cute smile and slight blush after he kissed her forehead and led her back into the sunlight. "Me and the old man will take care of it, Hime. So don't worry about it, they can take care of themselves anyway," he said reassuringly before planting another chaste kiss on her lips. "Just don't hurt anyone, Ichigo-kun."

"…I'll try."

The substitute shinigami walked casually back into the ornate chamber, delving once again into the dormant chaos that threatened to erupt in the aftermath of the startling announcement. His trademark scowl upturned slightly with every step he took until he was standing with a manic smile next to Grimmjow. "Stay on your toes, kitty. This is going to be a big one," he muttered humorously, making the Arrancar break into a feral grin that rivaled the animalistic expression on his mask fragment. "Don't get too full of yourself, Kurosaki," Grimmjow chuckled. "Got time away from your woman to get a match in tonight?"

Ichigo rolled his neck around his shoulders, taking in the ever-furrowing eyebrows of the Captain-Commander and the riot that threatened to spring forth around him. "Fine but you better make it worthwhile, Grimmjow."

"I thought I just told you not to get so fucking cocky, Vasto Lorde."

The substitute shinigami's grin threatened to tear at the corners if it got any wider. He took one last look around the room before his eyes settled on the frustrated elder in front of him. "Well we tried things your way, old man," he sighed, heaving a great shrug as he set Zangetsu on the wooden floor and brought his arms out from the sleeves of his robes. Casually folding his uniform over his back and leaving his chest bare, Ichigo watched as Yamamoto gave him the go-ahead.

Yoruichi sauntered over to her protégé, tapping her on the arm lightly. Soifon looked up at the contact, her eyes still as wide as saucers from the revealing of the Arrancar. "You…you knew about this Yoruichi?" she asked in an exasperated tone, staring in disbelief at her mentor. The anamorphic goddess threaded her finger through her fuscia locks with a smirk on her face before replying. "Knew about it? I helped put this thing into motion. Oh! Hey, check out the kid."

Soifon whipped her head around and looked at the shirtless Ichigo with a puzzled expression. "Unlike you, Yoruichi, I don't think that kid taking off his clothes is going to stun everyone into silence," she commented blandly, raising her eyebrows.

"Funny. Now just keep watching and you'll see Kisuke's genius at work."

Black reiatsu snaked its way outwards from Ichigo's chest, wrapping around his body and fanning out across the meeting hall. The chamber grew steadily silent once more as the outrage was quickly snuffed out by the abysmal reiatsu that hung like a vast ocean above everyone's head.

Outside, Orihime rolled her eyes and trudged further away from the building, seeking shelter from the sun under the eaves of a nearby building.

Ichigo-kun just had to go and be a showoff.

Yellow irises swam inside black sclera as the substitute shinigami gripped the right side of his forehead and raked a porcelain mask down across his face, smirking at the mass of priceless expressions playing out before him. He wished he could take a picture of Byakuya's face. A deep grunt came from his throat as he felt a light pressure in his sternum begin to expand in synch to all of the eyes that were now widening at the event taking place within his chest.

After Ichigo's hollow hole had stabilized, the choking black reiatsu suddenly rushed back inside his body, signaling the majority of the room's occupants to gasp for air as it was once again clear of impurities.

"You guys always wondered how I managed to beat Aizen," Ichigo announced in his morbidly distorted voice.

The ensuing explosion of sinister reiatsu was enough to shake the very foundation of the first division's barracks and alert all of Seireitei to the power that had won the Winter War.

Back in the meeting hall which had miraculously remained intact enough to still conduct meetings, the room's inhabitants were regaining their composure.

Grimmjow whistled loudly as he looked around in mirth of all the groaning shinigami, stifling a fit of laughter at the prone bodies of some of the Vice-Captains. No matter how many times Ichigo had transformed in Urahara's training room in the last six months, it still gave him one hell of a smile. He watched as both the flamboyant Captain and his previous primera both sobered up upon the massive surge of raw power, the latter bending down to help up his fallen fraccion. His gaze then drifted over to the other former espada beside him who was desperately trying to disentangle her sea-green hair from the snags of the cartoonish mask crowning her head.

Ichigo really knows how to get people to shut the fuck up.

"Form ranks!" The unmistakable voice of the Captain-Commander ordered, apparently giving a good portion of the officers in the room to work up enough motivation to stand back in line and keep their mouths shut. "Neither I nor Kurosaki Ichigo will tolerate one more interruption! The time for opinions and complaints will come later but for now I expect you all to behave as officers of the Gotei Thirteen and treat these Arrancar with as much respect as your peers." Silence was the old Captain's only confirmation that his orders had been heard loud and clear. "Now then, I believe our substitute shinigami has a few words for those of you who find the incorporation of Arrancar into the divisions distasteful."

"That's awfully kind of you, old man," a guttural voice rang out from the center of the chamber, the owner of which being obscured by a rotating cloud of dissipating black reiatsu. The first thing that everyone witnessed of the source of the voice was a pair of curved horns protruding grimly from the dark mist, later making way for what looked like a human skull with black markings etched vertically into the bone across the eyes. "Now that everybody's on their best behavior," the sepulchral figure muttered sardonically. "Let me just get in a few words before you all start screaming why you can't have my friends here anywhere near your divisions."

A clawed hand extended outwards from the mass of reiatsu, gesturing towards the Arrancar and the two Captains at their side.

Ichigo smiled as it finally dawned upon the crowd that what they were seeing was in fact real and it just so happened to be their brash young representative as a full hollow once the air around him finally became transparent once again, revealing the hole in his chest and the long orange hair that hung freely behind it.

He knew that five of the Captains had already been on his side from the start, the four seniors as well as Renji who had seen his transformation several times in the last few months. Kenpachi would probably hop on board just because they were strong, Captain Kurotsuchi was already partially in on the plans for integration since the Arrancar had been subjected to several "tests of loyalty" inside his lab so he was a shoe-in.

Well that just leaves the hardest Captains to convince, doesn't it?

Byakuya, Soifon, Komamura, and Toushiro…

Damn.

"Kurosaki."

Ichigo was jolted from his thoughts as the Captain-Commander called him to attention. "You have the floor if you would like to compliment that recent display with something that might make the doubtful minds in this room breathe a bit easier around our Arrancar associates," Yamamoto uttered gruffly, stroking his long beard. Ichigo nodded over to him and spun around to face the ranks of officers quietly awaiting the amazing speech he hadn't yet formulated. His signal to start came from Yoruichi who shot him a thumbs up out of the corner of his eye as Orihime once again entered the room with an encouraging smile.

"There's some faces here that I haven't seen in a while," Ichigo began, panning across the group of Captains and Vice-Captains. "As you can tell, I've been working out a little since we last met in Karakura," he commented wryly, pleased to see that he got a few laughs out of nearly everyone except Byakuya whose stare was boring a hole through his mask. "As you might also be able to tell, there's a Vasto Lorde-class hybrid in Resurreccion standing in front of you with both morals and reasoning skills." That got the room buzzing about in a low murmur.

"For those of you who know me which are pretty much all of you," Ichigo started again, turning his lips into an invisible smirk behind his mask as his confidence steadily increased. "You know that I would immediately jump into a situation that would put my own life on the line in order to protect each and every one of you." Several people in the room smiled warmly at the statement and watched as Orihime walked into the middle of the room and threaded her fingers through Ichigo's clawed hand. As she had hoped, the gesture drastically lessened the fear in the eyes of many of the officers around the room.

"You also know that I might not be the brightest kid in Soul Society but I do have a damn good sense about what is right. So let me tell you something, there is absolutely no reason to have any bad thoughts about my friends here," he stated with a surprising amount of bravado, pointing once more to the group of Arrancar who rewarded him with one smile and three sets of raised eyebrows

Gee thanks…

"I know that by a shinigami's concept of time, six months is a little short to be burying the hatchet. You guys don't like hollow, I know, Urahara Kisuke knows, Hirako Shinji knows, but most of all these guys here know. But in these last sixth months some of your Captains and I got together and decided to give these guys a chance because isn't one of the core beliefs of the shinigami that no one is beyond redemption?"

Nice clincher.

The room suddenly fell into uncomfortable silence once Ichigo ceased to speak, the smirk on his face quickly sinking into a frown.

Well shit, I thought it was pretty damn good for something I just came with on the spot.

Ichigo's sour thoughts continued until Captain Kyouraku stepped forward and planted a firm hand on his shoulder, shooting him a warm smile below his still slightly rosy cheeks.

"Hey Kurosaki," Captain Hitsugaya piped up from across the room. "You're going to need to cut your hair before we even think about hearing you out."

The room exploded into laughter and slight applause as Ichigo relaxed his posture a full fifteen degrees, looking over to Orihime who squeezed his hand affectionately.

The remainder of the meeting was spent listening to the senior Captains relate the various helpful things the Arrancar had done within the past half year with occasional interruptions by Ichigo and Captain Kyouraku to relate the times where Arrancar had saved their life or in the latter's case fooled his superiors by shooting him in the back with a mercifully weak cero. The closing statements were made by Yamamoto who relayed the various tests of strength and loyalty of the Arrancar to those present who had all been impressed when they learned that the four single-handedly cleared out Las Noches of all the Arrancar that remained fiercely loyal to Aizen. Now that the officers had warmed up to the Arrancar as best as they could for one day, the only thing left to do was to assign them their rank and division.

"Starrk and Lilynette," Yamamoto declared, slightly distraught at their lack of surnames as the smaller of the two helped the former espada stagger to his feet. "You are to be seated as acting Taicho and Fukutaicho of the fifth division, filling the gap left by Sousuke Aizen. What is meant by acting officers is that you will have full command only on the battlefield while the majority of your other duties will be performed by your third and fourth seated officers respectfully. Do you understand the extent of your influence?"

"Yes sir!" Lilynette shouted enthusiastically, admiring her new black attire before turning to face Starrk who was a moment short of falling asleep. "Yezzir," he slurred, bolting upright with a yelp when his other half kicked him in the shin. Everyone in the room half-groaned, half-laughed inwardly at the birth of a new disastrous pairing gracing Seireitei.

"And in the future Starrk-Taicho and Kyouraku-Taicho, may I suggest you engage in such friendly activities during the night," Yamamoto suggested sourly.

"Well you see the thing about that, sir," Captain Ukitake began sheepishly, innocently rubbing the back of his head. "I'm afraid they began last night and carried on until only an hour and a half ago."

Almost everybody rubbed their temples and sighed but no one did it harder than Ise Nanao.

"Nelliel Tu…"

Yamamoto frowned as he looked down at the paper in his hand. After six months, he still hadn't learned how to say her last name.

Sensing her superior's distress, Nel decided to save the elder Captain from embarrassment. "Nelliel or Nel is fine sir, whichever one you prefer," she said sweetly as the Commander coughed softly. "Yes…thank you then Nelliel. You will be acting Taicho of third division, replacing Ichimaru Gin. Are you aware of what it means to be an acting officer?" he asked impassively.

"Yes sir," Nel answered with a small nod, looking over to return the smiles that Orihime and the now normal looking Ichigo were shooting her way, laughing silently at the latter's shredded robes.

"Very well, I expect you to work very closely with Kira-Fukutaicho."

"Yes sir, I will sir."

Now which one was Kira again…

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."

Ichigo felt like walking out of the room as the focus shifted to his now semi-friendly rival. If there was one thing he had learned about Grimmjow in the six months that he had tested and trained with him it was that he absolutely despised anyone having authority over him.

"Those are some awfully sexy words coming from a guy like you."

He wanted to leave, he really did but Ichigo was too busy laughing to attempt an escape before the Captain-Commander's very short fuse was burnt down completely.

From a spectator's standpoint, Unohana Retsu and Ukitake Juushirou could not help but look at their superior in amazement as his already impressive amount of tolerance that had been exhibited that day grew to be an astounding amount as he simply waited for the laughter about the room to die down before continuing to speak to the azure-haired Arrancar before him.

Maybe he's just happy about this little peace between shinigami and hollow.

The two senior Captains nodded sagely.

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaques," Yamamoto resumed. "As a reward for your outstanding performance and cooperation during the months spent under my supervision, your request to remain in your current state of dress has been accepted."

Now the two Captains just looked confused as they stared at the Arrancar's bone-white vest and hakama.

"Alright!" Grimmjow interjected, stuffing his hands into his pockets with a wide grin. "I knew you'd come through for me, old man. So what division am I in?" he asked casually, disregarding the long streak of laughing and head shaking going on around him. There was a pause and his smirk could only get wider in anticipation.

"Do to certain events that have transpired earlier today, your initial entry position has been changed."

Soifon could feel all the color drain from her face as the words of her commanding officer hit home and it certainly wasn't being helped by the fact that Yoruichi was barely containing her laughter right beside her. The petite captain could only do her best to refrain from burying her face in her hands and running out of the room before she had a chance to hear what was undoubtedly coming.

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, you will be Fukutaicho of second division as well as second in command of the Onmitsukido and Commander of the Patrol Corps. You will be leading elite tactical squads into Hueco Mundo on various missions ranging from simple patrol to diplomacy and assassination. Do you accept your position and vow to fulfill all the duties that it entails?" the Captain-Commander asked sternly, opening his eyes slightly at the electric-blue figure who was now wearing a grin that was bound to make him fast friends with the Captain of the eleventh division.

Soifon who had been, despite her best efforts, listening intently to her superior couldn't help but feel as if she missed something and she'd be damned if it didn't get cleared up immediately.

"Excuse me sir?" she inquired more forcefully than she had meant to, gaining her the immediate attention of all occupants in the chamber. "I'm afraid I didn't hear you say that this Arrancar was an acting officer like the others," Soifon blurted out hurriedly, hoping for a second that she had just missed part of what the Captain-Commander had said.

"That is because he is not an acting officer. He will be Fukutaicho of your division in every sense of the word. Central forty-six has decreed that acting officers will only be necessary for divisions where Arrancar will assume the top rank," Yamamoto answered, the sharpness of his voice cutting through the last shred of hope that Soifon had possessed.

…You've got to be fucking kidding me!

Upon hearing this, Grimmjow took the opportunity to properly identify the second person in his life that he'd be serving under. This time however, he really didn't mind. He joined the Gotei Thirteen because it was an outlet for entertainment which had only solidified when he heard what his job would be and how much freedom he would have while he held his office. To say that he was ecstatic was an understatement and one look at his captain had placed the cherry on top of his ever-brightening future.

"You asked me if I accept, old man?" he asked in the most nonchalant voice he could muster, turning the ping-pong match of pupils back in his direction. "With a job where I get to slit people's throats in my homeland and order around a bunch of assassins with a point of a finger and a lady Taicho who's got the guts to get pissed at you, I'd have to be fucking crazy not to go for something like that," Grimmjow half-laughed, turning to look at Soifon who met his glacial eyes with a look as icy as their color.

Well at least he didn't say…

"Not to mention, she's pretty easy on the eyes," he added, giving his now infuriated Commander a wink before turning back to Yamamoto who he could swear was on the verge of laughing.

"Very well then," the Captain-Commander stated in finality, his voice resounding off the vaulted ceiling in the meeting hall. "This meeting has been adjourned and let me thank you all for accepting your new officers and finally usher in the age of peace after last winter," the old Captain declared proudly, earning smiles from everyone but Byakuya and Soifon who, for their own reasons, kept a straight face.

"I can't believe this," the second division Captain groaned as everyone passed her to shake hands and exchange words with the Arrancar. "I don't see why it's so bad," a voice behind her chimed, causing her to finally avert her attention to something that didn't fill her with dread…as much. "I like him tons more than your old Fukutaicho," Yoruichi stated matter-of-factly, resting her hand on her protégé's shoulder and forcing her to look into her eyes. "Don't even try to put a handle on him and you'll have fun, trust me. Never a dull moment around him and Ichigo."

Soifon stared blankly at her old mentor, finding it impossible to see why the woman would think for a second that such an undisciplined loose cannon like Grimmjow Jeagerjaques could belong in a stealth force. "And besides," Yoruichi added, snapping her out of her thoughts. "In Grimmjow terms, he's much "easier on the eyes" than that overweight snob you seem to be so attached to."

"I can't believe that bastard said that to me," Soifon sighed in frustration. "All your teasing never prepared me for that kind of mortification, Yoruichi."

The purple-haired goddess chuckled at her successor's expense. "It's all your fault for looking so cute when you get angry…see…just like you are right now." Yoruichi laughed as Soifon angrily stalked away to the side of the room where she had just managed to catch the answer to the question she had earlier about a certain substitute shinigami.

"The Hougyoku?" Toushiro asked in disbelief as Ichigo and Nel nodded slowly. "Yeah, healthy side-effects of helping hat'n clogs destroy the damn thing," the representative answered gravely. "I took that Resurreccion form twice before I used it though, once in Hueco Mundo and once in the fight against Aizen. Taking that form really pushed my inner-hollow close to taking over so I went down to your favorite candy shop to see what Urahara could do about it."

Toushiro narrowed his eyes at the jab but continued to listen intently along with a few others.

"He basically said we could kill two birds with one stone. I could finally suppress my hollow and he could destroy the Hougyoku. It was pretty easy to do in concept, you basically needed to overload it with reiatsu but the catch was that the people that were pumping their reiatsu into it had to be exposed to its effects. The pieces fell into place pretty easily from there. He asked me if I knew anyone that would have any actual use for it so we went and got Nel exposed to it again which got rid of…this problem she had and so the two of us just blasted the thing to hell in little over two hours."

"So are you really a Vasto Lorde, Ichigo?"

"Hell if I know."

That explanation was enough for Soifon who exited the growing circle of officers that surrounded Ichigo and Nel, making a beeline for the exit to the first division barracks until she was stopped by another booming series of announcements courtesy of the Captain-Commander.

"New officers will find their haori and armbands delivered to their respective offices. All Arrancar forces can be subjected to demonstration of their abilities by their divisions," Yamamoto roared over the assembly, pounding his zanpakuto into the floor. "All promotion ceremonies will be postponed until the Seireitei has been completely informed and come to terms with the integration of Arrancar into our ranks."

Soifon couldn't care less about the swearing in of her new Vice-Captain but the second announcement caused her lips to twist into a smirk.

So I can test him, huh? Let's see what that bastard's made of.

And with that, the second division Captain flash stepped her way back to her quarters and closed the door firmly behind her with a heavy sigh. She walked through the sparsely furnished hallways with a weighted stride until she entered the conjoined Vice-Captain's accommodations where there were certainly enough needless accessories to make up for the lack of her own.

Once again in the vacant office that produced the first knot in her string of bad luck, Soifon stepped behind the lavish desk and slumped unceremoniously into the chair before opening up a small drawer near the bottom where her eyes were greeted by a rainbow of differently colored bottles and glasses.

As one could tell by her petite frame, Soifon wouldn't hold out nearly as long as someone like Shunsui Kyouraku or the primera that he was getting along so famously with. Her eyes darted from the bottle she had selected to the group of glasses in the drawer several times before shrugging and taking a mouthful of sake straight from the bottle.

"Is it really that bad, Shaolin?" Yoruichi called from the doorway, her smirk unfaltering as Soifon shot her a weak glare. The goddess walked over to her friend with refined grace and gently plucked the bottle from her fingers before sitting down atop the desk with her legs crossed and her face uncomfortably close to the other woman. "Yes it's really that bad, Yoruichi," Soifon growled, tilting her head slightly away from the former Captain and looking at her crossly. "He's an Arrancar plus he's a cocky bastard," she added with a snarl, frowning when a dark hand prevented her from grasping another jug of sake. "So?"

Yoruichi looked at her friend and sighed when the angry shimmer in her eyes refused to subside. "Times are changing, Soifon. The old man knows it and you should too, they aren't our enemies anymore and Grimmjow especially never really was in the first place," she asserted in a tone that was well outside her usual demeanor. "That so-called "outstanding cooperation" Yama mentioned was just him being who he is."

Soifon tilted her eyes upwards in curiosity. "And who exactly is my new second in command?" she asked cynically, watching as Yoruichi's playful smile returned. "The thing you have to understand about Grimmjow is that he's a free agent like Ichigo. The only reason he joined up with Aizen was because he was a man that could give him power and opportunities to use it that he wouldn't have on his own. He never had anything against shinigami except maybe Ichigo but that was only because he pissed him off."

Soifon chuckled lightly, closing the liquor drawer and motioning for Yoruichi to continue.

"I'll tell you the truth though; he wasn't exactly jumping at the possibility to join up in the divisions but it grew on him. He cut a deal with the old man and the other senior Captains basically saying that in return for the basic necessities and freedoms as well as some good fights, he'd give his strength to Soul Society to be used any way they wanted it so long as he could be a free spirit and that just seemed more than acceptable to them. Not only could he fill in a hole in the ranks but he could be a deniable asset, you see. Out of the four of them, I think you got the best one…and I believe I already mentioned his looks."

Soifon shook her head with a laugh, her frustration slowly draining away with the aid of the dark-skinned woman in front of her. "Just tell me that he can do his job properly and maybe I'll let him stick around enough to give myself a chance to see why exactly you have so much faith in these Arrancar," she muttered as she smoothed out her haori.

"See for yourself," Yoruichi began, "I scheduled your favorite exercise an hour and a half from now in the outskirts of the Zaraki district."

"I hope it's something fun."

As if on cue, Grimmjow ambled into the office with a smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets, breaking the now silent ambience with the swishing of his hakama. His Vice-Captain band was wrapped firmly around his left arm, matching the stark white of his high-collared vest which rustled slightly as he approached his new desk, studying the activity that was playing out across it.

"Two beautiful women and a bottle of sake, huh?" he questioned with mock naiveté, meeting the rekindled eyes of his superior. "I was planning on celebrating tonight but we can do it right now if you ladies want to." Breaking his gaze away from his infuriated Captain and ignoring the barely contained snickers coming from Yoruichi, he strolled around the room and inspected the décor. "There sure is a lot of purple shit around here," he commented absent-mindedly as he peeked into the adjacent lounge before returning his eyes squarely onto Soifon. "You know it's going to stain easily."

Yoruichi took one look at the woman next to her and rolled onto the floor laughing as Soifon stood from her chair, positively fuming and glaring daggers at the frost-haired espada before her. "I don't know what delusions the other Captains have given you," she seethed, growing even more annoyed at the unwavering cocky smirk being shot her way. "But while you are under my command, you will address me properly as a subordinate and fall in line before I have to remove one of your limbs, Jeagerjaques-Fukutaicho."

Grimmjow looked at his Captain with a studious expression before his smirk grew into a lethal grin with a single ivory canine poking out the corner of his mouth. "Call me Grimmjow, lady Taicho. It's easier on the lips," he cracked before moving his teal eyes down to a still-struggling Yoruichi. "Hey cat lady, you were wrong about her being cute when she's angry." He paused as the goddess righted herself and snickered at the veins that threatened to become visible on Soifon's forehead. "What would you call it then," she quipped.

"I'd say it's a hell of a lot more sexy than it is cute…ah well I guess that look means I'm not getting a welcome party, damn."

A knock at the door was the only thing preventing Suzumebachi from reaching the Arrancar's throat as he walked over to the door to find two black folders bearing the Onmitsukido emblem resting halfway through the shoji doors. He bent down and looked at the files quizzically for a moment before picking them up, walking past Soifon who was trying her hardest not to murder her new officer, and sat down at his desk before looking one over while Yoruichi looked over his shoulder.

"Oh good, that's the information for your training exercise," she cooed, giggling at the click of a sword sliding back into its sheath coming from Soifon who closed her eyes and let out a long breath. "It doesn't say anything about what I have to do, just where and when I'm going," Grimmjow muttered in confusion with a slight frown which only deepened when he saw that his Captain was now wearing a sadistic smile. "It's a secret," Yoruichi jeered, adorning a much more attractive look on her face than her counterpart. "Now take a look at the other folder."

Grimmjow tossed the file containing his mission onto his desk and peeled the other portfolio open, his trademark smirk quickly returning much to the disturbance of Soifon who walked over and attempted to look at the document her Vice-Captain was reading only to have him lean the folder away from her vision. "I never would've guessed you were bisexual," he commented casually, causing his Captain's eye to twitch involuntarily before she snatched away the file and scanned its contents with a horrified expression.

Yo Grimm, just thought I'd share some information with you about your new Captain. Don't let her fool you when you first see her, she can be a big softie sometimes. Anyways, here's a list of things that I know about her as well as several educated guesses I've made over the years, you know like fetishes and her favori-

"Yoruichi, what the fuck is this!" Soifon screamed, slamming the folder onto the desk and letting her eyes smolder from blue hair to purple and back again. "Ah well, I just thought since I was telling you so much about him, it was only fair that he get to know about you," Yoruichi explained, closing her eyes and waving her hands innocently in front of her which didn't do much to stop Suzumebachi from leaving its sheath completely this time.

"I think it's time to run, cat lady," Grimmjow remarked with a laugh as he sprung up from his chair.

All that could be heard was a buzz of static accompanied by the sound of wind as someone yelled, "See you in Zaraki Shaolin-Taicho!"

Author's Note: So how'd I do? Good, bad, better than sex? Keep in mind that this chapter was just to set everything up so from here on out, now that the setting is done, I can have some fun with this story. Sorry for making events happen like they were in Dragon Ball Z time.

Don't forget to review on your way out!

Also pointing out spelling and grammar errors helps.

Ah, and one more thing I almost forgot to say. Reading the other Grimm/Soi fics is what got me into this, they're all great stories so check them out. But what I really want to say is that if you notice any blatant similarities between this story and another with the pairing then I assure you absolutely that it is completely unintentional.