A/N: I want to thank everyone for your supports & compliments, as well as criticisms to my other stories XD My heart leaps for joy whenever somebody adds me as favorite/alert author, fic or submit a review. If anyone hasn't notice already (I doubt it :p), English isn't my native language and my fics regrettably have not so little amounts of mistakes in them :( To me, writing fanfic is a very, very fun way to pratice my english, and I'd be very happy if my readers could look past my mistakes and be able to enjoy reading my fics as much as I enjoy writing them :D Thank you very much.

(maybe someone so kind could offer to be my beta reader...:"p)

About this fic, I must warn you first that it's some rushed crap inspired by the tragic event in ep 13 (if you know what I mean :(), undeniably unbeta-ed and unchecked. It was written when I was emotionnaly high after finishing ep 13 and I just wanted to get all this out of my head. Lelouch in this fic is probably more OOC than he's in the rest of my fics. It is because I want to write a different one from the normally stoic Lelouch and I believe he could be very passionate and protective when it comes to his close people. And of course, it's also because I want he to show more care to C.C. than he ever did in the show, i'm unsatisfied like this :p

This fic will be a two-shots, the first one could be a little confusing but I hope you'll give it a try and everything will be explained (and probably less OOC) in part 2 :D

At the Brink of Death

--oOo--

Part 1 - His side

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"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid witch…" Lelouch mumbles furiously as he presses the fresh cloth, now being slowly stained with red liquid, even harder. Despite his futile attempts, the wounds seem too severe and he can feel his heartbeat quickening at the sign of more blood.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO!

Twisted, broken limps.

Dark bruises on pale skin.

Deep cut over where the heart is.

Small, bleeding wounds all over petite body…

Lelouch grows more frustrated by seconds. The blood just didn't stop. Why doesn't it stop? It should stop anytime, NOW. His mind runs frantically through every possible circumstances and reasons and solutions… He just doesn't get it. Didn't she once have a shaped stone plunging into her chest and the wound magically disappeared just one hour after that? Didn't she once get three bullets breaking her limbs only to walk like nothing has happened just thirty minutes after that? Didn't she once take a bullet through her forehead and talked to him right after that?

It has been two hours since the battle. And blood never stops dripping.

Maybe it's because of the cut on her chest has reached her heart or something. Or maybe her head is hurt too deep? Maybe there are too many damages. Maybe…

May be she is dead.

NO!

Lelouch shakes his head violently in hope of dismissing the dreaded thought. She wouldn't dare, would she? They, after all, have a contract to fulfill. He doesn't intend to betray his vow, and he also doesn't doubt the witch would do anything to achieve what she wants. They have gone this far, why stop now?

I still need her.

His breath hitches at the realization. There's too much about her that no one can replace. With her gone, who would help him deal with all the Geass problems, especially when battling against his father and V.V.? Who would back him up in battles? With whom would he discuss his moves and plans for the Black Knights? Moreover…whose presence would warm the cold nights in his private chamber… with whom could he let down his mask and be true to himself, allowing a moment of quiet comfort?

He isn't ready to let her go just yet…

"Damn it!", Lelouch curses loudly, no longer caring about any dignity. "Why couldn't she obey me just once?"

'C.C., if things look unfavorable, then get out.'

He has said that, hasn't he? But that stubborn witch just had to do the opposite. In their recent battle with the Britannia force, she has thrown Akatsuki in front of Shinkirou and shielded him from a close attack of the deadly Lancelot. Why else must she do that beside the sake of annoying the hell out of him? His Shinkirou isn't graced with the most powerful defense system for nothing. And yet, he had to abandon both his comrades and enemies to barely escape with the remains of Akatsuki, all just because of one thoughtless act of her.

'You make your move before that happens.'

He growls in frustration. What does she expect him to do in this kind of situation? He doesn't know; she doesn't let him know anything about herself. How is he supposed to help her, save her now?

Blood is pouring out, forming a crimson pool around two figures.

He hates the helpless sensation she's making him feel. It reminds him too much of Euphie and Shirley's look in their last moment, of his helpless reflection in their hazy eyes. He was there, they were dying; and he could do nothing but watched their life fade away, just as he can do nothing to save this witch. Everyone's sacrificed for his purposes; he is their murderer.

I will not allow her to die. Not after what happened to Euphie and Shirley. Not after I lost Nunnaly and Kallen. Not her…

The overwhelming fear of losing loved ones is rekindled in Lelouch, and it's returning in full force.

Shaking fingers skim over cold skin and reach her pale neck, desperately seeking for any sign of life. He doesn't feel her pulse; then again, he isn't sure if she actually has the need to breathe before.

"Foolish woman!"

Wasn't she the one who promised to always remain by my side? I'm not going to forgive her this time, if she dares to go back on her words.

He has seen her worse.

Throughout glimpses of her painful past, he watched as she was burned alive like a witch, being thrown stones at, shot in the head, punished by the Iron Maiden… Those are only a few of her horrible deaths that he knows about. She has been wandering back and forth the gate of death more times than a normal human could possibly imagine, let alone endure. And she survived every single one of them.

C.C. can't be dead, even if she wants to. Her fate is to suffer forever, to be trapped for eternity in this world.

So why is she going to die now?

Those wounds couldn't possibly kill her, for she has been in much more deadly situations than this. She's supposed to be immortal. It wouldn't make sense if she died, right? And Lelouch vi Britannia is not one to tolerate nonsense things.

Right?

So why couldn't the pain stop spreading and toying with his heart? Why couldn't his fear just go away? Why couldn't his mind be at ease already?

What if I'm wrong?

What if even one like her has a limit?

What if her life force is draining away for real now?

What if her time has come and it isn't within her power anymore to regenerate those wounds?

What if…

His heart is throbbing too much to the point it's almost hurt just to breathe. His mind struggles from the dizziness of those flooding chaotic thoughts. He can only act under the control of instinct and desperation.

I haven't yet made you wish come true…you who have done so much for me…

Lelouch presses harder.

Stay with me, C.C.!

"C.C…"

C.C…

A whimper.

Thank for reading till the end :) Please review if you feel like it.