Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except lots of love for a certain Britannian prince.

Lelouch wondered how he had ended up here.

Wherever 'here' was.

He was alone, of course. Of the four people who did not think he was a monster, one was annoyed at (and therefore avoiding) him- but he didn't want to be remembering that now-, two had been sent on a covert mission together. And the last? She would never hesitate to make her presence known.

Oh yes, Lelouch had learnt it the hard way.

Also he was quite certain that he had fallen asleep on his throne, but now, if that familiar prickly feeling and tangy sent was anything to go by; he was lying on grass, and there were flowers nearby.

The Emperor considered the possibility that this might be another one of [OI YOU. THIS IS NOT FUNNY] C.C 's practical jokes again, and gave a dismissive snort. She could not have had the strength to carry him down 2 fights of stairs and through 9 corridors to the palace gardens. He debated opening his eyes to find out. However, the sunlight was warm, he was tired and completely alone for once.

(No If it pleases you, Your Majesty. Or What should we do your Majesty? Is anything the matter Your Majesty? No trembling, stammering servants or resentful guards; and none of Jeremiah's constant watching, explosive arguments with Suzaku, or C.C's pizza and her annoying plushie with it's staring eyes.)

Lelouch decided to stay where he was.

There was the sound of rustling grass from close by, calm, unhurried steps and cheerful humming.

"Lelouch?" Someone sat down next to him and he felt a hand brush away the few strands of hair that had been tickling his nose with every breath. "Sleeping again." That person sighed, "I keep telling you to stop staying up so late!"

Huh. It sounded like Suzaku. "Suzaku? Izzat you?" He muttered, eyes still closed.

A sharp intake of breath. "Awake now? I didn't think I'd ever find you sleeping when it's Nunnally who's asking you to wait for her!" His friend sounded amused. Like, like there was nothing between them but their times in the Kururugi shrine, and that summer before the invasion.

Suzaku was acting as if events of the previous year had not occurred. And Nunnally? Lelouch knew exactly where she was, and…and…could it have been all a dream? Had nothing changed at all? Were they still in Ashford Academy? He didn't dare allow himself to hope. This cannot be real.

"Hey, hey," A finger prodded him in the ribs, "get up now! She's coming!"

Lelouch opened his eyes lazily. It was very sunny; he squinted first at his friend who was leaning over him, and then at his clothes dubiously. "Are those your favourite or something? You wear them all the time!" He said.

"Uhm, what? No, they're new…" Suzaku tugged at the blue coat self-consciously while peering worridly at him. "Are you alright, Lelouch?"

Then he leaned back and waved at his friend as she got closer, "Hey, Nunnally!"

"Hello, Suzaku, brother! Did you wait long? I'm sorry for being late." She said sounding very excited.

Lelouch shot straight up at the sound of that voice.

Nunnally?

"No, I've only just arrived," Suzaku laughed and continued conspiratorially, "Lelouch here was taking a cat nap, so I'm guessing he didn't mind waiting at all."

She giggled.

It was Nunnally. Sayako was pushing her wheelchair along as usual, and she had a crown of flowers in her lap. They were all in the Aries Imperial Villa's garden. Which was an unlikely setting because it had been left on it's own for seven years, and was completely overgrown. Then there was also the tiny snag that the last time they met, she had called him a demon. And she definitely, definitely hated him above everyone and everything else. (He'd made sure of that.). Nunnally was also currently, as far as he knew, locked up within his high security prison in an isolation cell. So, this was just all impossible.

All of the above barely registered in Lelouch's mind as he tried to stand.

This can't be real. It was definitely a dream. But that's okay, he'd face the real world when he woke. For now…

Sayako set the brakes on the chair when they stopped on the paved pathway. Nunnally gripped the armrests of the wheelchair so tightly, her knuckles whitened with the strain. "Brother, stay where you are!" she said urgently. Her eyelids fluttered open, displaying her lilac eyes for the first time in years, and, frowning in concentration, she pushed herself up and out of her wheelchair.

Lelouch leapt to his feet as his little sister took her first unsteady step.

"NO! Wait there!"

He stared, heart hammering in his chest as she lurched forwards but stayed where he was. Lelouch knelt instead, ready to catch her if necessary with Suzaku standing tensely behind him.

When she finally reached them, she-

Lelouch found the huge orange plushie smelling distinctly of pepperoni cheese pizza sitting on his lap. He glared venomously at the amused face before him.

"Did I interrupt something?"

"You…I just," He tried for his typical annoyed expression, as if she had only woken him from his well-deserved rest. "Just go away C.C."

She rolled her eyes, grabbing cheese kun from him.

"You need someone to talk to. Suzaku's in the Exelica Garden, said he wanted to go for a ride or something. What are you waiting for?"

A/N: Uhm, this happened just before that talk Lelouch and Suzaku had in that garden in R2 episode 22, and the dream was based on this picture I saw once upon a time, before I finished watching CG. :D