A/N: This story is my first for Code Geass and is based on a short story I read several years ago. I don't remember the name or who wrote it unfortunately. If I ever find it again, I'll update this author's note with the name and author.
This story is also an AU of the whole series, and C.C. is mortal and attending Ashford.
"Milly Ashford is a vampire."
I blink. My mouth hangs open as she had stopped me mid-sentence to make the surprising declaration.
"A…vampire?" I ask disbelievingly.
Nunnally nods her head, "That's right."
I don't answer her immediately, my mind still working to formulate an appropriate response.
"Okay…how do you know she's a vampire?" I finally ask, deciding to humor her.
"Well," Nunnally says as she brings a small hand to her chin, "I sometimes see her out late at night, walking around like she's looking for something."
"Well, Shirley told me once that Milly suffers from insomnia." I answer gently.
Nunnally 'hmphs', "If she's a vampire, then that's probably just what she wants you to believe."
I nod, "Yes, maybe. Is there anything else?"
"Yes, she's creepy and perverted."
I almost laugh at that, "Perverted huh? Can't argue with that."
"I'm serious Lelouch," Nunnally cries, her eyes wide with fear, "I really think Milly is a vampire, and I'm scared that she may bite you one day."
My mouth falls open at the sight of her terrified face. She really does believe Milly is a vampire. Well, if there was one thing I would never allow, it is for my precious little sister to be scared or hurt.
I should probably mention that Nunnally is an invalid. She's been in a wheelchair since the accident that took our mother away from us. I was ten when it happened, Nunnally was seven. She was the only other one in the car and my mother's dead body was found wrapped protectively around hers. Unfortunately, her sacrifice could not save Nunnally's legs, and now she'll likely never walk again.
I'm certainly not about to let her be any more hurt than she already is, so I take her hand in mine and smile,
"I'll tell you what Nunnally, I'll keep an eye out for Milly the next couple of days, and if I see anything that makes me think she's a vampire, I'll take care of it okay?"
She smiles, clearly relieved, "Thank you Big Brother."
I smile as she hugs me close and kisses me on the cheek. However I'm a little confused when Nunnally brings her mouth to my ear.
"Just please be careful Lelouch, I don't want her to bite you too."
"Vampire? Milly?"
"That's what I said."
Suzaku raises an eyebrow, "Well that's kind of silly. I mean, vampires don't even exist."
"I know," I say with a nod, "But let's be honest, if it had to be anyone?"
My green-eyed best friend chuckles, "Well, I suppose you're right, Milly can be quite scary when she wants to be, remember the Christmas Festival last year?"
"Hey, we swore never to discuss that again," I point at him accusingly, his subsequent laughter begins to grate on my nerves.
He shrugs, "But seriously now, what are you going to do about this? I mean, eventually Nunnally may get too scared to even go near Milly if she really believes she's a vampire."
"I know." I answer, looking down at the uneaten lunch Sayoko prepared for me.
"So what do you plan to tell her?" C.C. asks me several hours later over dinner.
I shake my head, "I'm not quite sure. I know there's no way Milly could really be a vampire, but I'm not sure how to convince Nunnally."
"Did you ever stop to think she could be right?"
I stare at her, "Huh? Are you saying you think Milly really is a vampire?"
C.C. shakes her head, allowing her long green locks to fly around her head, "No, everyone knows vampires don't exist. I just mean that Nunnally is a very rational girl. I doubt she would makes such outrageous claims without some sort of evidence."
"She had evidence," I nod, "but it was all circumstantial. I highly doubt Milly is actually a vampire."
"Well, even if that's true," C.C. answers, "Something had to have happened to make her believe it. Perhaps something she didn't tell you about."
I become thoughtful at that, and mentally replay the conversation in my mind for perhaps the tenth time today.
"There was one thing," I say more to myself than to my date, "one thing she said just before I left for school…"
"Last one to the clubhouse has to kiss Arthur." Milly shouts as she runs toward the Student Council meeting room.
"Aw, Milly come on, that's disgusting." Rivalz yells from right behind her.
"That's right, I don't want poor Lulu to have to kiss a cat." Shirly adds.
"Geez, why do you guys always assume I'll be last?" I pant, running to try and keep up with my much faster classmates.
"Oh please, Lelouch." Milly calls back with a snort, "We all know you're the slowest kid in school. I mean, our 67 year old librarian could out run you."
"Now you're just exaggerating!"
"Not really," The soft voice of Nina pipes in, "I remember this one time when you returned a book that was overdue and she-"
"Can we please get off the subject?" I yelled, stopping to try and catch my breath.
"Fine but we'll be on it again once you're smooching Arthur." Milly sang back as she the other council members ran into the building.
With an annoyed sigh, I walk up to the open door and enter the clubhouse. Milly and the others are waiting for me. So is Arthur unfortunately.
"I am not kissing him." I stated bluntly.
Milly pouts, "You're such a spoilsport Lelouch, but I guess I'll let it slide since it's you. You owe me one though."
I nod, however inside I'm beginning to get a little scared. I've seen what happens to people in debt to Milly Ashford; who knows, she may wind up forcing me into a kitty suit one day or try to make me model women's bathing suits.
I'm starting to think I should've just kissed the cat.
"Lulu, you're not hurt from all that running are you?" Shirley asks, concern written all over her face.
I often times feel bad for Shirley, she's so obviously in love with me, but I already have C.C. Still, I hate the thought of one day soon having to break the poor girls heart. For now, I just give her a smile.
"Don't worry Shirley, I'm fine." I tell her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Mmm, yes you are…" Milly says suggestively causing both me and Shirly to blush (although mine was hopefully less apparent).
"Milly!" Shirly cried, clearly very embarrased for me.
"What?" Milly shrug, "Can I help it if the Lamperouge family produces such good-looking children?"
Rivalz can barely contain his laughter and Nina isn't really paying attention. Shirley is still blushing furiously, and I just keep smiling.
"Gee Milly," Rivalz says, "You can make Shirley uncomfortable even when it's not her you're flirting with."
"Eh, guys and girls, it's all the same to me." Milly says with a wave of her hand and a smirk.
The meeting goes on as usual after this and when it's over, Shirley, Rivalz and Nina all leave while Milly and I clean up.
"Does Nunnally need anymore help with her history homework Lelouch?" She asks me as I straighten the chairs, "Because I'm free for the rest of the day if she does."
"No, she's alright." I answer, "You helped her out a lot though, she got an A on her last test."
Milly gasps, "She did? Why the heck didn't you tell me?"
"I'm sorry," I say, my hands held out in front of me as a sign of surrender, "I thought she told you."
Milly stands up, "Well, I'd better go and congratulate her then, see you later Lelouch!"
"Milly! Wait a second!" I yell after her.
She's already gone though, having left me to finish cleaning up alone. I wonder for a moment if it's a good idea to let her go see Nunnally alone, but I quickly push those thoughts away. Even if Milly did try something, Sayoko would stop her.
No, I'm not worried. Not that much.
That night, I quietly walk into Nunnally's room to kiss her goodnight. She's already asleep. I smile warmly and creep over to the bed. I can't help but notice how adorable she is when she sleeps, almost like she's the little five year old sister I once knew.
I reach out slowly to tuck her in, luckily she's a heavy sleeper. My hand brushes against her arm, and she tenses up.
"No, no please." She whispers in her sleep.
Suddenly, the air in the room becomes heavy.
"Nunnally?" I call out softly, trying not to let the worry in my voice become too apparent.
She doesn't stir, but I know that something isn't right. I notice a piece of hair is in her face and I brush it behind her ear. As I do this, my thumb lightly touches her neck and that's when I notice something strange.
I look at my thumb with confusion, "Makeup?"
My eyes dart to her neck and, trying to steady my hand, I reach out to try and wipe the rest of it off without waking her. I manage to remove only a little, but it's enough to faintly see a black and blue spot.
Is that a hickey?
I withdraw my hand, a million thoughts running through my mind.
"Milly Ashford is a vampire."
"Just please be careful Lelouch, I don't want her to bite you too."
"I just mean that Nunnally is a very rational girl. I doubt she would makes such outrageous claims without some sort of evidence."
"Can I help it if the Lamperouge family produces such good-looking children?"
"Eh, guys and girls, it's all the same to me."
"Well, I'd better go and congratulate her then."
"No, no please…"
Through these random bits of conversation, I finally start to piece it all together. I sigh and silently leave the room.
There may be more to this whole 'vampire' thing than I'd originally thought.
"What's up Lelouch, why'd you ask me to meet you here?" Milly asks me the next night.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you Madam President," I say with a guilty smile, "I just really needed to talk to you about Nunnally."
Now she looks confused as well as a little nervous, "What about her?"
I sigh and sit down, signaling for her to do the same, "Well, I'm not sure why and please don't laugh at this, but she's gotten it into her head that you're a vampire."
She blinks, and despite what I said, bursts out laughing.
"A vampire, me? Where'd she ever get an idea like that?" She asks through her laughter.
I shrug, "I'm not quite sure myself, I just know that it's really scaring her."
This got her to stop laughing immediately, "Oh boy, really?"
I nod.
She looks thoughtful for a moment, then smiles.
"Okay, I'll go talk to her then, maybe I can convince her that I'm not really a vampire."
I smile, "Thanks Milly, I'd really appreciate that."
She grins at me and stands up to leave, "Always happy to help, I mean really, vampires don't even exist right?"
My smile widens, "No, no they don't."
She walks to the door, her back facing me. That's when I pull out the kitchen knife I've been hiding under the table and send it flying straight at her. The blade implants itself in her lower back. Milly gasps and falls to the ground in pain. Quietly, I stand up and walk around the table to her fallen body.
I click my tongue, "Just as I thought."
Her frantic eyes bore into mine, her usually cool face contorted by pain, fear, and shock. A river of blood pools around the area around her.
"You're no vampire at all." I continue, "If you were, you could have dodged that easily."
She doesn't answer me, I don't think she even can at this point. She does however cough up a good amount of blood. I inhale the scent deeply; i0t smells delicious. I smile, allowing my now bared fangs to show. She lets out another strangled gasp when she sees them.
"Well, vampire or not, I never intended to let you leave here alive Milly Ashford."
At this point, I can almost taste her fear. With no warning, I grasp her by the throat and pull her up into a standing position, then hold her a foot off the ground. I note that after all the time I spent hiding behind the façade of the physical weakness I'd posessed as a human, it felt quite good to use my true strength again.
My eyes gleam dangerously. "You see Milly, I know what you've been doing to my sister, and I cannot forgive you for it."
"Le-l…" She somehow manages to choke out. I grin wider, knowing I probably look like a demon right now. Good. That's exactly what I want the last thing she sees to be.
"Believe me my dear," I hiss with relish, "I'm going to enjoy this immensely…"
Two days later, Milly Ashford was declared missing by her Grandfather. Two months later, the search was finally called off when not a trace of Milly had been found.
At the funeral, I sat side by side with Nunnally. Unlike the others in attendance, she shed no tears. Her eyes stare emotionlessly at the flower covered casket that the students had filled with mementos of their departed classmate. I gently squeeze her hand, wishing I could tell what she was thinking. My gaze eventually moves to that accursed wheelchair. I hate that thing, and I hate how my sister is confined to it.
But inwardly I smile, because I know it's only temporary. That's one of the perks of vampirism, any illness or disability you may have had as a human is automatically healed. I figure another four years from now, when Nunnally turns eighteen, then my little sister will walk again.
I look now to my left, where C.C. holds my other hand. Ah C.C., she may be a little strange, and she does a number on my wallet every time we go out together (she always insists on Pizza Hut), but I do love her. I think I can happily spend eternity with her.
Then there's Suzaku, he'll be the hardest I think. I watch him as he hangs his head out of respect for the dead. I'll want him to join me as well, I honestly can't imagine living forever without my best friend, but I'm sure I'll be able to convince him eventually.
As the casket is lowered into it's grave, I feel Nunnally give my hand a squeeze. I want so badly to tell her that she has nothing to fear now. Milly wasn't a vampire, but I had still kept my promise to take care of her, she would never touch my sister again, but I wisely keep my mouth shut. As everyone lowers their heads in prayer, I allow the evil smile I'd been inwardly wearing this whole time to appear on my face, my fangs visible only for a moment.
Poor Milly, she'd been so young, and in a way, her death was all for nought, because she wasn't a vampire in the end.
Because we all know vampires don't exist, right?
Right…?
A/N: I just want to clear something up, I have NOTHING against Milly. I don't hate her at all, I just couldn't think of anyone else who could fit this kind of role. So I hope that no Milly fans reading this are angry with me.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my first foray into the Code Geass fandom (please review and tell me!) and I wish you all a Happy (early) Halloween.
