"Are you guys done yet?" Reika stared down at the two muddy boys and shook her head at the two of them in a deep embrace in the muddy water. "I set up the fishing stuff, so we're good to go." She gestured over to the sticks with string sitting next to an old fire pit someone made some time ago. Lelouch pulled away from Law and practically skipped over to the fishing rods laying on the ground by the pit and the river.

Law on the other hand at least tried to make himself look decent and clean by wiping off what he could. "You, um…missed a spot," Reika said and pointed at his left cheek. Law wiped the right side instead. She just shook her head and giggled softly

as she took a step froward. "No, I got it." Reika licked her finger and started to rub the dry mud stain off his cheek.

Law was a little shocked at how straightforward she became. He could only stand straight and still while clenching and unclenching his fists. " Are you always this nice?" he stuttered and tried his best not to look into her red, yellow, and brown eyes.

Were they always this color? They remind off fall. Law clenched his fists even tighter now and watched as Reika started to wipe the mud off his shirt.

"That's a silly question." She smiled seemed lost in her own world as she continued to talk. "I try to make up for what Lelouch lacks, like being kind and nice to balance it out, and it makes Lelouch happy. He doesn't want me to grow up in such a violent world."

Law placed Reika hands down at her sides and gave her a lopsided smile. "Thanks. Wow, you're really something to put up with that."

"Truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way." She tugged Law's sleeve as Lelouch waved them over for fishing.

The evening was perfect. Even fishing turned out to be fun and goofy, since Law and Lelouch had a fishing contest. Both of them lost to Reika.

Lighting the fire was difficult but they seemed to figure it out, and they all ended up sitting around the flames watching their fishes cook. It was quiet for a while as all three of them watching fire twist and twirl, listening to just the occasional crack from burning wood. "I want to do this all the time," Lelouch finally said and looked at the two of them.

Reika nodded her head in agreement. Law shook his head, though, and it slightly shocked Lelouch. "We have to grow up at some point. Playing children's games like this won't get us a future." Lelouch groaned and slapped his forehead and leaned against the log he was using as a pillow. "Calm down, kid…we'll grow up…and accomplish our dreams."

"What are your dreams?" Law now seemed interested in what Lelouch was saying.

"I want to make enough money to buy a boat and travel the world with Reika. It's a silly dream, but I wish to accomplish it anyway." Lelouch glanced at Law through the fire. "What are your dreams, Mister 'I'm ready to grow up and start a career'?"

Law rolled his eyes at the lame comeback Lelouch came up with. "That's just it. My dream is to become a great doctor like my father. It'll be my career, my life."

It was noticeable how both boys spoke with such passion and energy about their dreams. Reika especially noticed it and felt a grin creep on her face.

"What's your dream?" Law spoke directly at Reika, who in shock dropped the stick she was poking into the fire.

Law raised an eye brow.

"I don't really have a dream. I just want you two to be happy forever." She clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily. Lelouch threw a pebble and hit her shoulder. "Lame."

Reika puffed her cheeks again and hissed at him. "Shut up! I like my dream."

Lelouch waved his hand at her and grabbed his stick with the fish on it. "Enough of this talk, I'm starving." He took a huge bite and immediately started coughing.

"Hot? Dumbass." Law spoke as he blew on his fish on a stick.

"It sure is getting late…" Reika spoke a while after they finished eating their fishes. She was looking up at the stars and the bright full moon. "I'm happy that we all became friends." She glanced at the two boys who both nodded in agreement even though they would never admit it.

Another hour went by as they talked on and on about their future, their goals, their dreams, likes, dislikes, hobbies, anything they could think of. That was when Lelouch stood up and stopped Reika and Law from their talk about polars bears.

"We should get back. We'll walk you back, Law," Lelouch offered and smirked when Law glared. "I don't need you to walk me back."

"It's okay, kid, we'll protect you."

In the end Lelouch, Law, and Reika ended up walking Law back to his house. Even though Lelouch and Law fought the entire time, it was still quiet enjoyable.

But it was after they dropped Law off and were halfway to their house when Lelouch felt sick to his stomach and dread washed over him, like something bad had happened, but he couldn't figure out what.

"We're home!" shouted Lelouch as they walked into the house. He kicked his shoes off and helped Reika take hers off. As they were walking to the family room, Lelouch noticed that no one was home.

"I wonder where they went. Did they say anything about not being home?" Reika tapped her chin and glanced at Lelouch, who kept staring at the kitchen. "Who knows, and who cares? Let's get you to bed."

Changing seemed fast for both of them, and Reika hopped in her bed and covered herself up. "Story?" she asked hopefully, but Lelouch shook his head. "Not tonight, I have to check on something." He leaned down and gave his little sister a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

He checked the house everywhere for signs of his fake parents, but none were there except for the flickering of a candle. It seemed like someone forgot to put out.

Another hour went by before he finally decided that there was nothing to fear and went to his room for bed.

Like normal, he changed into his PJ's and turned off the lights. Before he went to bed himself, Lelouch leaned under the bed and pulled out a wooden floor board. The floorboard covered a hole in the ground with a wooden box inside.

He pulled the box out and wiped the dust that built up from staying there. "Just like every night, check to be safe…My dreams are almost there, and we'll finally be free."

He opened the box to check his secret stash of money that he had been saving for a boat.

This time though instead of money laying in the box, all he saw was emptiness. That dread returned. He then he realized it was gone….

In a rampage, Lelouch through the box across the floor. He knew who took and he had thought he had been careful to hide it from them. "Damn those fake ass parents!"

He stormed through the halls of the small log cabin, so blinded by his anger that he couldn't even remember the layout and got lost. He was trying to find any trace of where they could have gone, but everything looked the same. Lelouch knocked over some chairs and threw dishes on the ground, shattering them, trying to vent out some of this anger floating around in his mind until everything inside him collapsed and he dropped to the floor.

"I was so close to getting that boat…." He felt his eyes water up as he clenched his hair in frustration. The world seemed to stop. Every dream he had and every adventure he wanted seemed to shatter. The room felt black and cold and was closing in on him until a voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Lelouch, are you okay…?" He whipped his head to the left so fast, he swore he just gave himself a whip lash. Reika was standing there staring at Lelouch down on the floor. She rubbed her eyes and yawned like she had just woken up, which was probably true, since he put her asleep an hour ago. Before she would notice, Lelouch rubbed his eyes to wipe away any traces of tears. "I'm fine. You should go to sleep." Reika glanced around the room and realized it was a mess and was about to say more about the mess and Leouch's behavior. Lelouch yelled at her to get out so loudly that Reika's eyes started to well up with tears. "O-okay,' and she scampered down the hall until the blackness of the night swallowed her up.

Lelouch stared down at his hands before clenching them. "I was close, so close to getting that boat. All the dumb jobs and pickpocketing I have done over the years just to save up, and now…now its gone…." He growled and punched the floor as hard as he could. His knuckled cracked and turned bright red from the force. "I have no choice…."

I didn't want to do this…I was starting to like him….

"I'm going to have to rob Trafalagar Law…." Lelouch punched the floor again and glared at the wall like it was to blame for all of this mess. He knew from the beginning that those people shouldn't have been trusted, and he had slipped up. He was not sure when, but he did.

Now it had come down to this.

Tomorrow night he was going to rob Law.