Wait and Hope, by wedgegeck {wedgegeck [at] gmail [dot] com}

Chapter Four: Vienna Game, 2...Bc5

It was a gorgeous afternoon on the Aker Brygge - crisp and clear, cold enough that an espresso tasted especially marvelous: a little point of sharp warmth to counteract the air. Kallen appeared to be enjoying herself while staring dreamily out over the water, a calm, pleased expression on her face. C.C. motioned the waiter over and ordered a calvados.

The green-haired woman kept her own expression on the edge of a frown as she watched Kallen across the table. Her calvados arrived and she took a swallow, swirling her tongue to capture the flavor; it was hot after the espresso. C.C. licked her bottom lip. "Hey," she said impatiently. The redhead did not respond. "Kallen!" She said a bit louder, smirking a little as the other girl turned her head, surprised.

"Sorry, C.C.," Kallen smiled apologetically. "I guess I was distracted."

C.C. took another swallow, looked at Kallen over the glass. "Thinking of anyone in particular?" She inquired, her tone a little mocking. It was not in her to miss an opportunity to tease Kallen.

True to form, the other girl blushed and rose to the bait. "C.C.!" She said, embarrassed, and crossed her arms. "Like you're any different!"

Now it was C.C.'s turn to blush, albeit less so than Kallen. She toyed with her glass silently and reflected. It had been almost two weeks since Kallen's arrival, and C.C. was becoming a little less sure of herself; her inability to sarcastically reply to Kallen's rejoinder was proof. In the past days Lelouch had, with minimal prompting, agreed to limit his working hours and keep to a schedule with the two of them. Some days he made breakfast, and three times now he had taken them out to dinner. Each day, though, without fail, they spent the evening together - the three of them - usually with Kallen playing Lelouch at chess as C.C. watched or read quietly. Her comments on Kallen's gameplay were a bit harsh at first, but Lelouch's encouragement had softened them. Ultimately, it had been for the best: their early disagreements had given over to more casual conversation. For the past week, it had been oddly comfortable. Lelouch seemed healthier, Kallen was clearly enjoying herself, and C.C. was perplexed to discover that her jealousy was changing. It was true that Kallen's arrival had made Lelouch happier, changed his habits, as she had feared, but C.C. was finding it difficult to be angry about it. After all, he wasn't just smiling at Kallen; he was once again soliciting her advice, seeking her counsel, and spending time with her. She didn't like to admit it to him, but she was enjoying the attention.

Oddly, Kallen was too. Having been so silent for so long about Lelouch, it was perhaps not surprising that Kallen was becoming more open with C.C. They had more or less reunited over the chessboard, declaring their emotions and agreeing to stay with Lelouch; since then, the redhead had spoken to C.C. more than once about her intentions. Lelouch's happiness was paramount, for her, so his improved relationship with C.C. was something to be celebrated, not feared. Despite her hesitancy, despite her aloof exterior, C.C. found herself viewing Kallen as more of an ally than a rival.

And that was a little frightening for the centuries-old girl; she was naturally possessive of Lelouch as both her newfound companion in immortality and the only person who had seen through her self-destructive behavior. If Kallen could bring Lelouch happiness, she was willing to oblige, but only so far. The trouble was, she had no idea how far, and she was afraid of waiting for Lelouch to find out.

C.C. was not accustomed to feeling unsure of herself. She took another sip of the calvados and noticed Kallen staring at her.

"Are you all right?" She asked, sounding concerned.

"Perhaps that's the trouble," C.C. mused cryptically, turning the glass to watch the alcohol cling to the side.

Kallen made an irritated noise as she waved to get the waiter's attention. "You're as bad as Lelouch, you know that," she said.

"Hmm," the witch drained her glass. "Perhaps," she said sweetly, and waited for Kallen to pay the bill.

It was still early when they arrived back at the house. Sayoko greeted them warmly as they passed through the ID check on the door, then disappeared after promising tea in a few minutes. C.C. removed her jacket and stretched idly, pretending not to notice Kallen's nervous expression. It was to be expected - Lelouch had indicated that he was getting closer in his investigation of whatever person or organization was interested in Code. It was only a matter of time before he decided to act. C.C. started to walk toward the library and called over her shoulder,

"Kallen, would you come with me?"

The other girl nodded and walked with her. "I guess Lelouch might be a while yet," she said. "Is there something you want to do?"

"Yes," C.C. responded as she walked into the library. "I want to show you a game." She sat down before the chess board and stared expectantly at Kallen, who was looking at her quizzically.

"You want to play? You never play with us, though."

"No, I just want to show you a game." C.C. pointed at the opposite chair. Her eyes softened a little. "It's important."

Kallen looked a little perplexed, but sat down. Maybe I'm not the only one who's a little nervous, she thought. She watched as C.C. began moving the pieces in turns, in what appeared to be a pretty normal opening, until suddenly black's Bishop ran directly into white's front line before practically anything was developed. Even as a novice, Kallen was a little taken aback. Since she had started playing regularly with Lelouch, she had quickly determined that early attempts to knock out his pieces with her own bishops and queen were usually doomed to failure, so she had become far more conservative. This game, though ... what was going on?

C.C. walked through the game, playing by memory. She watched as black's Queen chased white's King around the board, while white was unable to bring anything out to defend himself. An attempt to retreat to the safety of his knight brought an incredible sacrifice by black, and the chase continued. Up toward black's lines, dodging pawn advances and maneuvering past deadly threats of checkmate. Harried and unaided, the white King kept moving. C.C. felt a little sorry as she replayed it, pausing between moves to watch Kallen's incredulous expression and exclamations of astonishment as the King continued to act alone. Sayoko served them tea in the middle of the game, then departed quickly.

Finally, all the way on black's pawn row, the brilliant but solitary King was forced into an even worse place. C.C. looked up after playing the eighteenth turn, and waited for Kallen to see the position.

"So," she began, brow furrowed, "he can't retreat, because he would be in check, but every time he dodges the bishop, all he can do is move back to the last position, right?" The redhead looked up and met C.C.'s eyes. "He can't get out of check, can he? After that crazy dodging and taking all the board on by himself, he's stuck." She shook her head and leaned back. "What a crazy game."

"It was, indeed." C.C. commented, prompting Kallen to eye her suspiciously. "I didn't play it; it's a famous game. 'The Immortal Draw,' they call it now." She looked down at the board. "It doesn't matter how brilliant the King is when he works alone. He might not get checkmated, but he can be held in check forever." C.C. closed her eyes, a shudder going through her. "Have you ever thought what it must be like to be a prisoner who cannot die?"

Kallen frowned as she thought back to Shinjuku; she had not known, would never have guessed what Clovis had hidden in the mysterious capsule they had stolen. She thought about C.C. there, helpless, immobile, unable to leave, even in death. "That's awful," she managed, looking at C.C. with deep sympathy in her eyes.

"I'm not talking about myself," C.C. responded, her tone serious. "If someone is after Lelouch, they aren't worried about killing him. They just need to hold him in check." She paused to let that sink in. She tapped the board to focus Kallen's attention again. "Where were his subordinates when he needed them? They're unmoved, held back, blocked in, undeveloped." The green haired girl leaned forward. "They weren't ready."

C.C. watched her silently, her mouth a tight line.

Kallen folded her arms across her chest and looked at the board. The King looked awfully lonely, so far into enemy territory. What was a bodyguard to one who could not die? Undeveloped, not ready, blocked in... the words rang in her mind. She thought of Lelouch before, his memories gone, smiling at the false world around him. Her stomach twisted. How could she protect him, protect them? With the threat of a frozen eternity hanging over him, how could Lelouch go forward?

How could she?

Kallen stood and walked over to the window. Outside, a young woman was walking what appeared to be a full wolf on the waterfront; the creature seemed quite comfortable in the city, away from home.

Lelouch leaned back and shut his eyes, momentarily blocking out the monitors in front of him. Despite his recent change to a more reasonable schedule, he was tired. Since Kallen's impromptu arrival, he had been working at every opportunity to determine who it was that was targeting Code. Previously, the fear and doubt he'd felt had no outlet; Lelouch had run himself in circles night after night, exhausted and withdrawing further as the inevitable drew closer. He made no progress, which in turn undercut his proficiency. Despair set in, and he turned to retreading the same ground, pushing against a wall. He had been getting nowhere.

But then she came, and suddenly everything was changing. While he had been isolating himself and his own uncertainty, she had dragged him out of the cage he'd made. Now C.C. was there to share his concerns, Sayoko was there to sharpen his thoughts.

And Kallen was there, to protect him.

Lelouch leaned forward again and keyed out of the systems with a smile on his face. How could I ever explain to her that she makes me feel safe?

It was not a thing he felt he could express adequately, but it was true. Kallen had given him his confidence back, given him support, showed him the others who were there waiting for him. He had taken a day of rest, before he resumed his work. When he did, it had been with a clear head, and he found that the work he had been doing in retreading the same ground had not been in vain; he used that comprehensive, methodical research and analysis to find what he had been looking for: an in. The past few days had seen the breakthrough, and he was confident that he was on the trail of the financing of the arms groups in the Northern E.U. Now, though, it was time for some work outside the office.

Lelouch was still apprehensive about involving his friends, but he took heart in Kallen's confidence, and tried to rebuild his own. The operation was planned, for the most part, and now he just needed to refine it with their help. Today he would outline it for them. He hoped sincerely that Kallen's trust was not misplaced.

As he headed toward the library, Lelouch reflected on the state of his affairs. C.C. had been more open with Kallen than he would have suspected; they seemed, against all odds, to be on quite friendly terms around each other. He was not sure what to make of it, but for the present he supposed that it was better than the alternative. Maybe it is Kallen, he mused. The redhead had brought him around, certainly; it was not unreasonable to deduce that she was doing the same with C.C., even if the immortal girl usually played close to the chest.

Frankly, he wasn't sure what to do about either of them. They had confessed to him, outright. What was he to do about it? Perhaps he could ask Nunnally's advice. He had written to her since Kallen's arrival, of course, but he had been careful to omit their scene over the chess board. Maybe she would have some idea that he did not. At least for the present, he was going to occupy himself with problems that were a bit easier to solve.

He shook his head and opened the library door. What he saw made him start slightly. Kallen was sitting in one of the armchairs near the chess board, her face flushed and eyes down; C.C. was standing near her, one hand on the redhead's shoulder, a tender look on her face.

"Am I interrupting?" Lelouch inquired hesitantly.

C.C. looked up, her face a mask. "Not at all. Finished early?" Kallen took a deep breath and turned to face him.

"Yes," he responded, putting his curiosity aside in the interest of discretion. "I have something to talk over with everyone. It's an operation, and I'll need your help to make it work."

"We're ready, Lelouch," Kallen said, her tone serious. "What did you have in mind?"

Four days later, Kallen tugged awkwardly at the conservative jacket Lelouch had selected for her as they walked down the street toward the waterfront. "Comfortable, Ms. Verinder?" Lelouch sounded a little amused.

"This is really not comfortable, you know." She frowned as they approached their destination.

"It's supposed to make you look like a wealthy businesswoman, at least for today."

"Not much of a success, really," C.C.'s voice came over the comm link in her ear.

"Thanks so much," Kallen replied sarcastically.

"You're welcome. Next time we'll have Lelouch pick out a nice form-fitting dress for you. The staff will probably follow your orders without question so long as the neckline's low enough."

Lelouch cut them off as Kallen made a growling noise. "In character, please," he said, his colored contacts and dyed hair rendering him a little less noticeable. "Let's not get careless, everyone."

The office building was a twin-spired structure near the water, down the way from Deutsche Bank. Kallen and Lelouch made their way in and over to the receptionist for Gjensidige Beholdning, the occupant of approximately a quarter of the building. Lelouch glanced at the clock as they were shown into a conference room for their meeting: 10:00. Sayoko would be ready to move in less than a half-hour.

"Ms. Verinder, Mr. Blake?" A tall, blond man said as he entered the room, smiling.

Lelouch stood to shake hands as Kallen called out airily, "You must be Mr. Sturlisson, right? Thrilled to meet you!"

The gentleman blushed as she extended a delicate hand for him to shake. "The pleasure is mine, certainly." He sat down and brought out two packets, gave them over to Lelouch and Kallen. "You'll find the offer terms and security outline there, as we discussed. Gjensidige is the premiere secure storage facility in the country, and I know that our facilities here will meet with your approval."

"Rachel requires the utmost discretion for this, Mr. Sturlisson, as I'm sure you understand," Lelouch stated. Kallen blushed prettily.

"Naturally, Mr. Blake! We pride ourselves on security and discretion; our client list is strictly confidential, and access to the facility is under the strictest control. The, ah, items you'll be entrusting to us will be treated with the utmost care." He smiled politely. "Do you find the paperwork to be in order?"

"Well," Kallen said softly as she turned to glance at 'Mr. Blake' for confirmation, "I would very much like to see the facility, before we commit. Can that be arranged?" She smiled sweetly.

"Why yes, we can do so for you Ms. Verinder. Give me a few moments to get clearance and we can look at the actual vault. I ask your patience for a few moments," he said as he turned to leave the room.

Lelouch glanced at his watch.

C.C. sighed as she toggled the camera displays around Gjensidige Beholdning. Lelouch's plan revolved around the acquisition of something which had been delivered by courier to the high-end private storage and security facility, which meant that they needed access to the site physically. For her, that meant playing coordinator while Sayoko set up their diversion.

"Sayoko, are you ready? Ten minutes." She spoke into her headset.

"Ready, mistress." Came the immediate reply.

C.C. watched as Lelouch's position signal began to fade. They were within the zone of the vault, then. Things were proceeding properly.

It was time to begin.

At precisely 10:20, the front desk at Gjensidige's Oslo location and Deutsche Bank across the way each received a phone call informing them that there were several bombs planted nearby. At 10:23, Mr. Sturlisson keyed his entry data and palmprint on the secondary vault entrance. At 10:29, the intercom announced that they needed to evacuate the building.

Mr. Sturlisson attempted to reassure his visitors. "I'm certain that this is merely a drill, you understand," he rubbed his hands nervously. "Please, this way." He guided them toward the door.

At 10:30, twin explosions tore through the pavement next to Deutsche Bank and Gjensidige. Mr. Sturlisson, startled and unsteady, fell into the beautiful Ms. Verinder as the lights went out. When they came back up, Kallen was standing over him, a serious expression on her face.

"He's out. I hit him hard enough - he may not even remember the explosion." She looked over at Lelouch, who was already hunched over the terminal in the hallway.

"Good job, Kallen. The ID number is there, 84337. It will be unsealing itself in a moment."

As he spoke, Kallen saw about three dozen containers in the brushed steel wall open with an audible hiss. "I'll get them, Kallen. I've already corrected the security footage, and Sayoko will be detonating the secondary charges to remove backup power in 180 seconds. Once the power is out, we'll drag our friend outside." He walked over to 84337. "All conditions cleared." He reached into the container and withdrew an oblong metal box.

Watching the door, Kallen heard an audible gasp. When she turned, Lelouch was already on the floor. Panicking, she ran over to him, past two aisles of metal storage containers. "Le-" she began before catching herself, "Are you all right?" His eyes were wide, the pupils dilated. He blinked after a long moment, and Kallen released a breath she did not know that she had been holding.

"I'm all right ... the box, I should have accounted for something like this." He grabbed her arm, and then the secondary charges went off.

Kallen's ears rang, perhaps not too surprising since Sayoko had indicated that the backup generator lines would be closer and harder to cut. The emergency floodlights were all that was left now. She pulled Lelouch to his feet, eager to get them both out of the building. "Come on," she said over the subsiding ringing, "let's -"

She saw his eyes go wide, felt him awkwardly thrust her to the left, behind the row of containers.

"No!" Lelouch shouted hoarsely.

She heard the gunshot, saw him fall back, registered the blood pooling around him. She heard them now, a little. She saw them, saw more than one gun leveled in her direction. There were four, certainly not more than four. She could not take them all down, not from so far away, not before they shot her, stopped her, took Lelouch away.

Not before they took him from her. Again.

She saw Lelouch turn his head toward her, blood in his mouth. He gasped, unable to speak.

Kallen turned away and looked at the four silent men, not security guards, not policemen, guns at the ready. Lelouch's hand twitched helplessly.

And then one of the men began to howl, his eyes wide and crazed. Another fell to his knees, his hands shaking, gun forgotten. The third ran headlong into the corner of the room, screaming. The last simply stood where he was, visibly shaking, unable to move.

Lelouch blinked in amazement as he began to recover enough to sit up, wincing at the pain in his chest. He heard Kallen speak, a soft, sad tone in her voice. "I'm sorry, Lelouch."

She turned to take his hand, the mark of Geass blazing in her left eye.

They took the box and Mr. Sturlisson, and left the men where they were. They escaped into the crowd, leaving their unfortunate salesman behind. Lelouch said nothing, just followed her lead and watched.

"What happened to Lelouch," Kallen heard C.C.'s voice in her ear, smiled at the concern she heard there.

"I'll explain later," she said, looking at Lelouch. "Soon."

Kallen stood and walked over to the window. Outside, a young woman was walking what appeared to be a full wolf on the waterfront; the creature seemed quite comfortable in the city, away from home.

Something had been preying on Kallen's mind for weeks, ever since she learned the truth of Geass, and Code, and Lelouch's miraculous survival. She had never thought about living forever - for a long time, she had only thought about dying. But knowing that she loved him, and that she would one day leave him, was too much to contemplate.

So she didn't.

It was easier by far to worry about C.C., to play chess, to eat dinner, to revel in the delirious, insane truth that Lelouch was still alive, still within her reach. But the thought was never too far from her mind.

At night, she often dreamed of Geass. She had never felt so conflicted, so unhappy, as when she had doubted her own feelings for Lelouch and for the Black Knights. I wanted to believe, enough to become a slave. She had wanted that, yearned for it, but to have that desire be a falsehood, a lie, a compulsion, was too much. Such an evil power - it had turned the Black Knights against Lelouch, turned Suzaku against him, turned Nunnally against him. The world reviled him, rejoiced at his assassination.

Why was she even considering such a power for herself? How could she possibly ask for it, without seeming duplicitous? Why would she want such an awful ability?

Kallen thought of a great many reasons, but in the end it did not matter: she wanted it, and C.C.'s game had shown her the ultimate reason why. Strong as she yet was, Lelouch needed more than a bodyguard, and he would never curse her with Geass, even if she were able to ask. When the time came, and Lelouch was lost, would her strength be enough, when she knew she could be stronger? She shut her eyes and tried not to cry.

C.C. watched, trying to stay silent, as Kallen put her hand over her eyes and then turned to face her. She was crying, but smiling too. C.C. honestly was not sure what to make of it. She stood and walked over to her, reached out a hand. Kallen took it in her own.

"I want the power to protect the both of you, C.C." The green haired girl was taken aback at that - she had not expected to be included. "Please?"

C.C.'s expression softened, and the symbol glowed to life on her forehead. She pulled a suddenly startled Kallen into an embrace, and kissed her. The power of the king will isolate you, Kallen - but perhaps it may not. You will live a life apart from the run of man, a different life, a different power. You will wear a mask before the world. Do you accept this contract?

I do.

C.C. heard the resolve, felt the steel that held the girl together when circumstances might have torn her apart. She smiled. Then it is done.

Kallen gasped as C.C. broke the kiss, stumbled into the chair and held on. She breathed in deeply once, twice, then looked up at C.C., her left eye aflame with Geass.

That's it for chapter four! A bit shorter than the previous one, but I hope it was worth the wait. This really is quite a Kallen-centric chapter, but rest assured that C.C. and Lelouch are going to have a conversation about these events soon!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate your comments, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

-wedgegeck