New Start

(Disclaimer- I do not own Code Geass, although maybe if I wish hard enough…)

Shirley Fenette was fourteen when her life collapsed on top her. She had lived a nice domestic life until her father died in the line of duty and her mother was unable to support her without accepting a job fifty miles away. Her life slowly rebuilt into something worth her sacrifices, she made kind friends, joined the student council, became captain of the swim team, and fell in love. After high school she kept in touch with her friends and was starting a promising career as a fashion designer. Now at twenty-one it was collapsing once again.

Wearing a beautiful cream colored dress she had made herself, Shirley elegantly walked down the nicely polished hall. The group chosen a nicely built museum like building for the wedding. Shirley had argued that this place was better for the reception, but it couldn't be helped as the bride had a tough history with churches and the groom wasn't too keen on them as well. She secretly thought he just wished to please his bride but oh well, it wasn't her wedding. It was decided that the wedding would take place in the large room in the center while the two hallways and their respective rooms on either side would be split between the bridesmaids and groomsmen. As she walked out of the female's hallway and towards the male's she admired the stellar elegance of the building's interior and accounted it to Milly's influence and funds that such a place was accessible to them. She briskly walked as her wedges clacked along the ground until she reached the guy's half and saw Suzaku standing guard to prevent any females from entering and he immediately took notice of her.

"Oh thank god you're here." He sighed looking haggard but still managing to look handsome. His hair was a rugged mess as always and his green tie matched his eyes wonderfully, giving him a stylish look. "He's totally losing his cool, even though he's pretending he's fine." He said throwing her a knowing look. She smiled and giggled softly, Lulu will never change.

"Well I'm glad you're watching this hall, Kallen's watching the girl's side and she literally flipped the last guy trying to get through." She stated laughing. Kallen was a great guard but she was rather violent and even-tempered. Suzaku began laughing as well,

"Ha! Well at least no one is getting through." He said as their laughter died down. He stood up from the backbend he had been doing while laughing and began to look serious. "Are you here to calm Lelouch down?" Blushing she nodded her head.

"Yeah! Umm… Milly and C.C said it'd be good if I calmed him down a bit." She said still blushing slightly.

"I figured." The brown-haired man said with a soft smile.

"I'm concerned about him as well, when Rivalz burst into the room a panic and told us Lelouch wasn't feeling well I got really worried." She spoke softly remembering her blue-haired friend bursting into the bride's room. (Kallen having had let him in.) He was in complete panic stating how Lelouch was slowly losing his nerve. Suzaku laughed a little and moved his arm out in an opening gesture.

"Go on ahead. You're probably the only one who can help him right now." He stated warmly. Shirley nodded in affirmation and began walking down the hall. "It's the last door on the right!" She heard Suzaku yell. She waved at him in kind and walked until she stood still in front of said door. Gulping down her resolve she turned the handle on the large oak door and pushed it open. There she was met with a vision she would always cherish. Her long time love stood in front a large mirror as he fastened his shirt buttons, looking incredibly handsome in his suit. His raven black hair was nicely brushed and he smelled of lovely cologne. She noticed when he finally toke note of her presence as he looked startled to see her in the mirror then relaxed and warmly smiled. They have been friends for so long she wouldn't be surprised if she could walk into the bathroom while he was taking a shower and he would pay no heed. (Not that she could do that, she'd blush too fiercely.)

"Hey Shirley." Just two words spoke volumes about his nerves. Around everyone except her and a few others his mask was incredibly thick and hard to look behind, but here alone with her he let his emotions run free. She could read him easily because of this and could easily see his anxiety, his sweaty palms, twitching eyes, and nervous smile. She gave her own nervous smile back and walked towards him. Noticing his rumpled tie she grabbed it and began the process of retying it.

"Lulu you dummy, you can't go out there with it like this!" She scolded. His smile faded and his eyes began to downcast.

"I don't know if I can't go out there at all." He whispered quietly but she still heard him loud and clear.

"And why not?" She asked moving away from his fixed tie with her hands on her hips, her long orange hair swishing with her movement. He paced a couple strides then abruptly sat down. He breathed in and out then began speaking.

"We have this all meticulously planned out, down to the last detail, although a puzzle herself I've learned to decipher C.C and I couldn't be happier…"

"But then why…" She started but stop at his pained look.

"I can't plan what comes after this! I can only plan the bare bones, there are so many variables. Children can only be slightly planned and our relationship is beyond a schedule. What am I supposed to do if she starts feeling depressed? (Although she wanted to point out the only time C.C got depressed was when there was no pizza, she wisely kept her mouth shut). What if we stop loving each other? What if something happens and I don't have a plan?" She walked over to him and grabbed his face. She tilted it to look at her, staring deep into his purple eyes her own began to water as she spoke.

"Stop being such a Lulu! You two… you two love each other too much for this crap. You don't need a plan for everything! If something happens then you adjust to the situation just like you do with those stupid battle strategies you come up with. Your love… your love doesn't need a plan, all you need to do is be there for C.C and I'm sure she'll do the same." She finished softly looking deeply into his eyes. He looked distressed by her tears at first but quickly calmed down at her words. Nodding his head he stood up and wrapped her arms around her into a hug.

"You're right, as always. Thank you so much." He said as he pulled away and looked down at her with kind eyes. Oh how badly she wished to kiss him right then and there but she knew it was her right so she balled her fists against his chest instead. "You're the best friend anyone can ask for," he said as that vile word cut into chest, "you've stayed with me all this time even after what happened." Oh she remembered that day, she's surprised she could even forget it for a second. The day her dream shriveled in her chest and left her heart barely pumping.

Four years ago,

"Hey Lulu!" Shirley called as she walked towards Lelouch standing at his locker. Next to him unpacking her things stood the object of her jealously, Catherine Cooper or C.C as everyone calls her. She moved to the school six months ago and everyone either adored or despised her cold demeanor and sarcastic remarks. Shirley belonged to the latter but it wasn't for her personality. She first joined the group when Milly and Euphy had first period with the girl and practically dragged her against her will to join the student council, they all really liked her and she was instantly integrated. Although Shirley and C.C were complete opposites she took a liking to her and they became fast friends. She only began to dislike her when she noticed the gold-eye girl and her crush becoming closer and closer, soon he was giving her rides home and they started twining each other's lives together. C.C become very close friends with Lelouch's younger sister Nunnally, who began to call the older girl Nee-san. She even started living with them as she was living in an orphanage and Lelouch's mother dragged her into the house with the excuse that Nunnally needed an aid as the poor girl was blind and crippled. Soon the two were inseparable and Shirley could feel her love slipping away from her. Everything that used to be Shirley and Lelouch was suddenly Shirley, Lelouch and C.C and slowly but surely Lelouch and C.C. Don't get her wrong, Lelouch never left her out or made her feel unwanted and neither did C.C. Lelouch still liked to be with her just the two of them but their "dates" were becoming less and less frequent. She tried to hang around Suzaku and Euphemia more, and though they were always glad to have her she felt like third-wheel to the couple so stuck to mainly hanging out with Kallen and occasionally Nina. She was glad for their company but she still missed the days where she and Lelouch would hang out for hours on end. She didn't have the right to go on dates with him though, he wasn't her boyfriend. 'But that's all about to change.' Shirley thought as she clutched the letter she was holding to her chest. She was finally going to do it. After two years of loving him she was finally going to tell him. Well that wasn't completely true, she started liking him two months into her knowing him, but she only really began to love him about a year ago. She fell hard though and she was finally going to have him.

"Hello there Shirley." He greeted as she reached them. His eyes held fondness in them and she practically melted. "How are you?"

"I'm good!" She sputtered out. He looked at her curiously and she began to blush.

"Are you feeling alright? You look a little skittish." He asked looking at her concernedly. She attempted an answer, tried to reach out her hand to pass him the invitation for a dance with her but found her limbs remained glued as if she was standing in jello. Behind Lelouch C.C closed her locker, holding her prized plush Cheese-kun in her arms.

"She's probably skittish because she's afraid you'll collapse on her considering you had to climb the stairs to school today." She quipped. Lelouch spun around in outrage,

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" He yelled at her, his face flushed with rage.

"Exactly what I said. You can barely walk 5 meters without panting for breath much less walk up a flight of stairs." She smartly replied staring at him with cold yet mischievous eyes. Lelouch growled in anger and started a rant defending his physical abilities. Shirley would've found the argument funny under other circumstances but currently she was too strung up to do anything but stand and stare in jealously. After gathering her nerve she cleared her throat, halting Lelouch's tirade.

"Oh right," he said turning back to her, "want did you need Shirley?" He asked calmly.

"I umm…. umm…. can we talk after school by the big tree in front of the gates?" She mustered, losing her nerve to give him the letter.

"I'm sorry, C.C and I are planning to head to pizza hut after school, do you think we could reschedule?" With that her hope shattered, she didn't think she be able to get the courage to ask him again.

"That's alright," C.C interrupted, "It'll only be a few minutes right?" The green-haired beauty asked as she looked at Shirley for confirmation. She nodded her head a little baffled as C.C continued. "I'll need to get my stuff anyway so you two can talk and I'll wait by the bike." Even though Shirley considered her a rival she recognized C.C's blatant pushing to give her a chance to confess her feelings. She locked eyes with her and she could see her message of 'I'm giving you a chance to confess your feelings because I know you'll always wonder if you miss the opportunity.' She was and will always be grateful to her for giving her a chance even if it led to her heart-break. Lelouch looked at C.C and rolled his eyes, before turning back to her.

"Alright well I'll see you then Shirley."

After school she rushed to the little stone bench under the bright green tree. Shifting her feet she waiting in nervous anticipation for her love's arrival. After a few minutes she saw him casually striding to her. 'This is it' she gulped.

"Hi Shirley, so what's so important?" He said with amusement. She quickly thrust the invitation at him before she could coward out.

"Would you like to go to a dance with me?!" She shouted. He looked at her puzzled as he held the now crumpled invite.

"Don't we go to dances a lot though?" He asked. 'Geez for someone so smart he can be dense sometimes' She thought.

"No…no not as friends I meant we should go like as a date." She blurted out, cheeks hot. He looked at her in bafflement.

"A date? You… you want to go on a date with me?" He asked not sure if he heard her right.

"Yes! Lulu you dummy! Of course I want to go on a date with you I've been in love with you for a year!" She ranted closing her eyes, only to open them back up and see dawning and horror in his own. He dropped his bag and the invite and she began to feel dread and loss filling her.

"Shirley… I… C.C and I… we've been dating for… for a month now." He spoke softly. With that the nail closed on her coffin. That was it she was too late. She had lost Lelouch to a witch. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and they began to spill harshly down her cheeks. She cupped her hands to her mouth not believing what had just happened. Lelouch understanding the magnitude of what he just said, tried to reach out for her but she stumbled back.

"No… no… stay away, STAY AWAY!" She shouted in anger as betrayal steamed in her eyes. She grabbed her bag and sprinted all the way back home. She ran past her mother's concerned face and locked herself into her room. She stared at her simple but elegant bedroom and watched as she felt her dream begin to die and wonder if there was a way that she could go with it.

That was that. She holed herself up in her room for three straight days, refusing to talk to anyone and only opening the door for food and drink. She eventually warmed up and started acting normal again. There was tense atmosphere between her and Lelouch for a while but it eventually smoothed over and they went back to their old dynamic. The years went by and Lelouch and C.C remained high school sweethearts and while she was incredibly sad she could never bring herself to hate the green-haired girl who stole her love. Shirley stayed in contact with all her close friends including C.C and her fashion designs were becoming more in demand. She thought she could finally move on a year after the rejection but found that every guy she dated just wasn't Lelouch. She hated to admit but when she was high school Lelouch and swimming was all she saw as her future, and barring her career she wasn't sure what she really wanted anymore. Then three years after the rejection Lelouch and C.C announced their engagement and she felt her heart shriveling once more. She didn't let it show though, she was a true bridesmaid and friend and threw herself into planning the wedding. With input from C.C she personally designed all of dresses and arrangements. And as she stood there holding onto her love she couldn't feel more proud of herself. Lelouch let her go and gently wiped her tears. For what felt like hours they stared at one another conveying so much history between them. However, they both turned away from each other at a knock on the door.

"Lelouch? Shirley? The wedding is starting in ten minutes." It was Suzaku.

"Come on in Suzaku." Lelouch stated straightening his hair which had gotten a little tussled. Suzaku walked in and smiled broadly.

"Ready to lose your freedom buddy?"

"I think I lost that long ago Suzaku." Lelouch smirked as they began laughing and despite herself Shirley began chuckling as well.

"Want me to take you back to the girls Shirley?" Suzaku asked politely. Shirley nodded her head and reluctantly moved away from Lelouch and towards him.

"Yes please. Thanks Suzaku, "she turned back to Lelouch grinning, "see you in a few minutes Lulu!" She teased cheerfully as she walked down out the door with Suzaku. Her heart was yearning for her to jump into to his arms, to hold him, to kiss him, she hadn't had enough time with him. But then again he was never hers to begin with.

C.C was radiant in her wedding dress as she walked down the aisle. Her lime hair was placed in a stylish bun and her dress matched her perfectly. She grabbed Lelouch's hand and the ceremony began. The ceremony was a blur to Shirley, luckily her tears were justified, she just had to pretend they were out of happiness. The reception was fun and lively and she danced with both Lelouch and C.C multiple times. As the party winded down and the newlyweds drove off to their honeymoon, she stood on the white steps and looked at the setting sun. Watching the sun set through tearful eyes she knew this was the end of her old life and just like before she would start anew.

AN- Hey! So this is the first fanfic I'm posting to this site. It's a oneshot and I don't really see a continuation but let me know if you guys think otherwise. I chose C.C's name as it was popular Victorian age name and I'm pretty sure that's where she grew up in the canon. Anyway, let me know if you guys have any questions, comments or suggestions! I'd love to hear them!