Author's Note: This first chapter is short, but I just wanted to set things up. I will be uploading a second chapter soon.

Chapter 1: Bad Dreams

"No...Lelouch!" C.C. cried in her sleep. "Lelouch! Don't die! Lelouuuuuuch!" Her cries were heard all the way at the very end of the long hallway that was the East Wing of the Britannian Palace. The same cry that woke Suzaku Kururugi from a dead sleep. He immediately became alert and shook off his comforters and shot up out of his bed. "What's happening?" He murmured to himself. He continued to hear crying and shouts from the other end of the hall. "Is that...C.C.?"

Suzaku quickly grabbed his sword, without changing out of his night garments. He ran down to find her bed chamber, thinking she was being attacked and made sure his sword was ready to strike before throwing open her door. But he found not an intruder, but instead C.C. crying utterances about his deceased best friend and rolling around on the bed.

He dropped his sword and started to shake C.C. awake, which took at least a good minute, as she was sleeping very heavily. When she was at last shaken into consciousness, she gasped at the sight of him leaning over her bed, touching her.

"Wh-what are you doing? Get out!" She screamed. She was extremely angry and Suzaku pitied her very much at this moment. The poor girl still had nightmares about Lelouch, even a year after he had slain the Demon Emperor. It still puzzled him, though, that this occurred since when Lelouch was still alive, she had appeared so emotionless and when he had told her of his plan for Suzaku to murder him, she had not bat one eye. But, evidently, she had cared greatly for him, if not loved him.

"I'm sorry, C.C, but you were shouting quite loudly in your sleep. It woke me..."

"I don't see how that is any of your business, Zero."

The title struck him. The title that Lelouch had bestowed upon him when he died.

"You will address me by Suzaku when we are within the private chambers." Suzaku was not sure as to why he had said it as a command, but perhaps he wanted C.C. to recognize him as her friend.

"Don't you remember that you no longer bear that identity? You're Zero now. The last wish of Lelouch was for you to carry on that masked symbol of justice. That is your punishment."

Yes, Lelouch had described it as such, but Suzaku had a feeling that C.C. meant it to be a punishment for the slaying of her loved one.

Suzaku sighed. "Would you prefer it if I left you alone, then?"

C.C. looked at him coldly, her golden eyes shooting arrows through his soul. "Yes, I'm used to being left alone, Lelouch."

Immediately after she said his name, she realized her mistake. Clearly, she was quite embarrassed and Suzaku saw the beginning formations of tears well up in her eyes. Her cheeks became a flaming red.

"Just, get out!" She cried.

Suzaku hurried out of C.C.'s chambers, himself feeling like crying. What he didn't know was whether he would be crying for Lelouch or C.C. His protective instincts caused Suzaku to feel apprehension over leaving C.C. to her nightmares, but he also had to respect her wishes. His priority was to watch over Nunally, after all, not C.C. An immortal witch required little protection. Whatever pain she was feeling over the loss of Lelouch would fade, just as the rest of the heartbreaks she had endured over the centuries she had been alive. At least that is what Suzaku told himself so that he was reassured of C.C.'s well-being. And with that final thought, he fell back asleep in his bed, only to dream of C.C.