Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot and a few characters.

Chapter Three: Day of Contemplation

When the lights of day gave way to the sickly, pale yellow glow of street lights and car lights Lelouch retired to the room Marianne had prepared for him. Rin and Marianne were out scouting the town, making sure Charles was not lurking in the shadows close by. Gino had left to speak with his pack and then report to his Partner about Lelouch's retrieval. Suzaku was in the kitchen getting a glass of water. The awkward air that had appeared between them after Rin's announcement earlier the two didn't really know how to react to one another. Part of Lelouch wanted to latch on to Suzaku and weep senselessly into his Partner's shoulder while another part of him begged for him to run in fear from the werewolf he'd become close to. 'I shouldn't be afraid of him. He's not going to hurt me for no reason,' He thought to himself, sitting on the edge of his bed and lightly fiddling with his fingers.

The door creaked open lightly and in entered his emerald eyed associate. The other male wore a pair of sweatpants that hugged at his hips, dipping low and revealing the tanned skin leading to his genitals. A shirt was absent from his figure, revealing his rippled muscles and strong triceps. Lelouch looked away, trying to resist the urge to pounce him. They had only been intimate once before, but that had been roughly two weeks ago and Lelouch was craving Suzaku's attention. He wanted to be wrapped in his arms, their lips crashed together, tongue battling, bodies pressed flush against one another. He knew he should be thinking about such things, considering everything going on around him, but he was a warm blooded man with an attraction to his Partner. It was also those things that made him mad for the other. He needed something to block out the horrible events that were spread out in front of him.

"Lelouch… I don't want to kill you," Suzaku whispered softly, eyes cast to the floor. Lelouch blinked, amethyst orbs softening on the sorrowful male before him. Lelouch was afraid himself, but unlike Suzaku he had been left with years to accept his role as a sacrifice, that he'd end up becoming someone's tool. He was more understanding to the plight of the wolves, therefore more accepting of it, but was also afraid of death. What would happen to Nunnally after he was gone? She was also a blessed human but would her Partner be sympathetic to her handicap?

"I know that but it is our destiny," He whispered back, trying to hide the shiver in his voice. Suzaku's eyes snapped up quickly, focusing on him intently. He hadn't been able to hide the waver in his voice. He silently cursed as the other approached, eyes a dark green as he came to stand before him.

"Destiny shouldn't rip us apart like this," He stated softly, kneeling a bit so he was eye to eye with the blessed human. Lelouch quickly averted his gaze to the side and let out a small, nervous chuckle.

"We are just destinies little pawns. We can't make drastic moves without being told or without the path being altered slightly but still leading to the same ending," He mumbled softly, his voice shaking and trembling. He silently cursed his weakness and that he couldn't keep his defenses up whenever Suzaku was the one interrogating him. Lying to Suzaku was difficult and felt like lying to an innocent child, such as Nunnally. Only it was much more painful. Lelouch knew it was the guilt of lying to the one he loved but he had to. Neither he nor Suzaku could argue their destiny. They would only be disappointed if they made an attempt to.

"Destiny is a cruel bitch so let's just appeal to another form of thinking," Suzaku scoffed lightly before kissing Lelouch possessively on the lips. Lelouch eased into it eagerly, casting any feeling other than the hunger of the kiss aside. He needed Suzaku now, whether they were destined to be parted or not. Suzaku lips were a bit rougher than he remembered but he liked it. They pulled away from one another slowly, their eyes shimmering lightly with desire. "Let's appeal to any other force for a different path, a path where we are safe and together." Suzaku whispered.

Marianne stared at the stars, eyes downcast again. Lelouch was safe, for now. But what of Nunnally? Was her only daughter just as safe? 'No, she's even safer than him. She won't die for the sake of the world,' She thought sadly. Nunnally could have been the One, considering the genetics between she and Lelouch, if not for the seal Marianne placed upon her at birth. A seal that stole away her legs, yes, but spared her of being sacrificed. One of them had to die, and though Marianne loved both her children, she knew that Lelouch would prefer it this way. He loved his little sister with all his heart. His love for Nunnally was rivaled only by his love for his Partner, Suzaku. That love, however, only opened an entirely new can of worms Marianne was not prepared to face.

Lelouch was given the blessing and the curse of a normal human heart, with which he could feel love and pain. Due to this, he had fallen in love with Suzaku and, despite how much Marianne hated to admit it, their chemistry was undeniable. Lelouch had always been sensible with the personality of a dead fish in a market. He had looks, yes, and therefore sex appeal, but he kept his emotions as balanced as possible and shied away from anything that would leave him exposed to anyone for an extended period of time. Suzaku, in contrast, was the exact opposite. In the places Lelouch needed to be filled and taught Suzaku was overloaded and eager to share his knowledge. He had a naïve yet sweet persona that made him well liked and easy to get along with. His emotions took control and dictated a lot of his actions, sometimes giving him the strength he needed to achieve something. Suzaku was a tad bit dill-witted but that was something Lelouch could share with him. Suzaku, who knew only how to slay a ghost when they met, had been taught from Lelouch of the many different ways to remove a spirit and how sometimes simply killing them was a lot more harmful than to go through with a ceremony. Yes, ceremonies took time, patience and skill, but they could be good alternatives when dealing with certain types of ghosts, such as those of children or animals.

"You're going to release the seal on Nunnally, aren't you? If you do, her Partner can find her and she may be able to help us when we return to Tokyo," Rin stated as she trotted over, a little blue bag around her neck. Marianne just smiled, her violet eyes softening, and pulled two cans of tea from the bag. "They only had unsweetened green tea but I got a bunch of sugar packets." She stated, sitting beside her Partner. The two had learned years ago that Rin could, in fact, go in to stores in wolf form without Marianne tagging along… As long as she wore a bag over her neck with some money and a note explaining what she was doing stuffed inside for the cashier to pluck out.

"I don't know if I want to," She sighed, looking down at the writing etched into her wrist. It was the Kanji character for "shield". Rin let out a small scoffing noise and shook her head.

"Oh please! When Suzaku was about two months old he was allowed to wander around the village all by himself! And if he messed up and got hurt because of it? Mommy was there to lick his wounds and he remembered that pain as his lesson! You've dumped all the responsibilities on Lelouch, Marianne," She stated with annoyance clipped in her voice, "and it's about time you let Nunnally grow up too! She needs to become a blessed human and realize her fate. You can't shelter her forever." The two looked at one another, emerald and amethyst warring with on another, before the raven haired beauty released a small sigh and looked back at the mark sadly. "Will this open her up to the risk of Charles going after her? Yes, but it will also give her a chance to do something great and be equal to her brother. For once she'll have the liberty to stand beside Lelouch at his darkest hour."

"You've always been somewhat like my conscious, you know that?" She asked with a small hollow laugh. Rin gave a small smile and little scoff.

"I'm just painfully honest. When I think something isn't right I'm very vocal about it," She stated with a brief wave of her paw.

She nodded and looked down at the mark. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small razor, and carved a large X into the Kanji character. She didn't even flinch or wince at the pain or groan when crimson liquid began to creep out from the fresh slits marks. "Will you feel better if I tell you I'm proud of you?" Rin asked cheerfully. The other glanced at her sideways and shook her head, laughing lightly.

Nunnally perked up from her spot sitting on the couch in front of the crackling fireplace. Miss Viletta and she had just been talking about the baby she'd been having and the older woman had offered to bring her a cup of hot cocoa. Now, as she sat and waited, she looked down at her legs. She had begun to feel a tingling sensation, like when someone's legs had fallen asleep and were beginning to move again. She blinked, feel curious, and slowly moved, using her arms to push herself to the edge of the couch. Her legs drifted to cool wooden floor and her eyes widened. She could tell the floor was cold! She could feel it! Slowly, cautiously, she pushed up and stood on her legs, which shook like the legs of a newborn colt under her weight. But she was standing for the first time in her whole life!

"Nunnally, how?!" Viletta gasped as she stepped into the doorway between the small kitchen and living room. The other's eyes, however, were averted to the outside. Sitting pretty in the snow was the grey pelted wolf she'd made contact with earlier. She ran on her unsure legs, threw open the door, and stumbled through the snow to him. As soon as her feet touched the powdery white snow he ran to meet her. They both skid to a stop, looking at each other as their chests heaved from air.

"Are you… my Partner?" She whispered breathlessly, hope creeping into her voice. Was she finally going to be able to help her older brother? Was she finally going to be able to do more than stand on the sidelines and hope for the best?

The wolf's tail wagged eagerly. "Yes, I am! I've been waiting so long to meet you, Miss Nunnally! My name's Luke and I'm so excited we can finally talk!"

End