Shades of gray

"I wish you would stop fighting it, it is becoming tiresome."

Fingers touched naked skin, slipped slowly upwards to slide through soft hair.

"I do not enjoy what you make me do."

Fingers were pulled into a fist, grabbing the locks they just caressed.

"Or do you like it?"

The man lifted the boy by his hair, giving him a painful shake.

"You'll never leave me."

Cold calculating eyes met tired red shot.

"You're mine, Ichigo."

The boy's head fell.

"Yes."

….oooo0000OOO0000oooo…..

"Detective Jeagerjaques!"

A handsome blue haired man ducked under the crime scene tape walking towards the other detective.

"Kaine Shiba, homicide." The two men shook hands.

"So, mob hit on your first day." The shorter black haired detective glanced over as they walk. "Ready for the big leagues?"

"Yeah, thou' I've been with organized crime for 7 years, not my first rodeo."

"Sure, though here it's different. More in the open, like this one." Detective Shiba motioned towards the victim. The man had been shot in the face and chest at lunch hour in a diner. "People are scared, a dozen witness but no one talking. And we know who's is behind it too."

"Aizen ye?" Detective Jeagerjaques looked around. "No security cameras?"

"You've heard of him, good." Shiba nodded. "And negative on the cameras."

"Got an ID on the vic?"

"Tei Yokochini, local game. As I've understood it, not a player in the Espadas."

"Naw, not in any of the files I've read 'least. Could be hired help or…" Something caught the blue haired man's attention. "What's this?" Using a pen he poked at the dead man's clenched fist. "'e's got something here, someone get a pic yeah?" A young woman in a blue overall placed out a number cone and took the pictures. After she was done the two detectives pried the victim's hand open. It was a photograph. A young man looking over his shoulder, eyebrows pulled into a frown. It seemed to have been taken with a telescope camera.

"Good looking kid, know who he is?" The blue haired detective looked up. The other detective just nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, now this murder doesn't seem so random."

"What do ya mean?" He stood up.

"Would recognize the hair anywhere. His name is Ichigo Kurosaki." Detective Shiba pointed at the boy.

"What, he's a heavy hitter or something?" Jeagerjaques looked at the photo again, not really seeing it.

"No, that's Aizen's partner or more like trophy wife."

…..ooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooo…

Back at the station Grimmjow had been assign a desk opposite of Shiba, his new partner. Shiba's desk was a sorry sight; reports mixed up with food in various forms of decay covered most of it except for the computer screen and a picture of a happy family. Wife Miyako and only daughter Rukia he had happily informed him when he caught Grimmjow looking.

"So, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Yeah, ya said something about 'im being Aizen's trophy wife or something?"

"Yes, just one of those sad stories. From what we have been able to gather he's gone from worse to horrible. Parents died when he was young, bounced around in the system for some time. Then he gets this foster parent, and things start looking up for him. Even applied for adoption but the parent just disappears, leaving the kid high and dry. He drops out of high school and goes underground. When he resurfaces again, he's an adult working as a nurse here down at general. Then Aizen comes along and at first its love, walks on the beach, the whole shebang. Followed by the kid quits he's job, they get married and Aizen starts to systematically place that kid in the hospital more times than not. Many things have been said about Aizen but he really puts the abuse back in abusive husband."

"I guess ya already been on it, but why is 'e still with 'im?" Shiba looked sad and picked on a stray noodle.

"I haven't handle it personally but the kid refuses to talk. I sometimes moonlight in the crime unit and have talked with the guy who handled it the last time. When they first got wind of the abuse they came on too strong, wanting to secure kid and flip him. Saw him as a way to get Aizen for something, anything. But the first team leader Gitano Shigeo pushed the kid so hard he ran to Aizen just to get way. Shigeo ended up electrocuted in a hotel bathroom, it was ruled an accident but we all found it a little too convenient. The kid refused to talk to us after that. Personally I think he's feels guilty and doesn't want to involve anyone else." Grimmjow frowned.

"Why doesn't 'e just leave? He had disappeared before, he could do it again." Shiba rubbed his tired face.

"Scared I suppose, or Aizen has something on him. Maybe he's loves the bastard, who knows. The kid is a dead end."

"So our vic…," Grimmjow looked at the report. "Tei Yokochini, what he got to do with the kid?" Shiba held up the photo.

"My guess is he was doing surveillance on the kid and Aizen found out and off him. Doesn't matter now, we will probably write him off as a cold case anyhow. Aizen does not do mistakes."

Grimmjow knew when he took the job even if it was a promotion on the paper, it was going to be hell. Not that he had a choice. To put it nicely he had had a disagreement with his former captain and it had been this or change occupation. One can't punch their superiors in the face without any consequences.

"So, we're going to Yokochini's apartment next?" He asked after standing up. Shiba got up as well grabbing his coat.

"Yeah, who know, maybe we get lucky and find something useful."

Before they could move to leave a tall red head walks up to them.

"Hey Renji! Back from suspension already? " Shiba asked with a smile. The red head pull a face.

"Very funny, shithead. You know it was a vacation."

"Unpaid vacation."

"By choice! The captain refused to let me take a paid one."

"Maybe if you actually did your work the captain would be more lenient." Grimmjow just watched the two men bicker leaning on his desk. The redhead finally noticed him.

"Dude, your hair is blue!" Grimmjow stood up with a growl.

"Got a problem pineapple?" The other quickly raised his hands.

"Whoa, no offence dude." He held out his right. "Names Renji Abarai." Grimmjow shook it.

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaques." Abarai was going to say something else but was interrupted by a dark haired man.

"Abarai, if I ask you to get the detectives I want you to get them, not play around." Cold gray eyes met blue.

"We haven't been introduced; I am Byakuya Kuchiki, captain." He had a firm handshake even if he looked weak. "I was in a meeting and it concerns your case." Straight to business, Grimmjow was starting to like the shorter man already. "Come with me both of you." Shiba and Grimmjow followed the man to his office.

New story and more serious than before. It was fun to write and hopefully it will be a lot shorter than Forced Marriage and Mulan: bleach version will be. I hope you liked it and please buy a crazy train on the way out.

Peace