Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. If I did, I wouldn't be posting these stories now would I?

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It was turning into a long day as Lelouch tried to think up ways to cheer Leon up. But it was no use.

Even when he tried to bring Leon lunch the only response he got was, "I'm kind of busy right now and I'm not very hungry anyway. Thank you though." through Leon's office door.

Finally he just gave up and went outside to play with Kit in the backyard.

"Hey Uncle Louie. I'm getting kind of worried about Daddy." said Kit as the two of them laid in the grass watching the sun set together.

"I know. But I don't know him well enough to be able to help him." Lelouch admitted.

"How come daddy's like this Uncle Louie?"

"I don't know Kit. I think he just had a rough night." Lelouch fibbed, not wanting to worry the boy.

"Maybe daddy will feel better if we make dinner for him." said Kit smiling.

"That might work." he shrugged.

Kit rolled over onto his stomach and rested his chin on his folded hands.

"Do you know how to cook uncle Louie?" he asked.

"I know enough I suppose." Lelouch shrugged.

"Good, cause I don't know how to cook at all."

"That's because you're not old enough to be using the stove by yourself." Lelouch laughed rolling over as well.

"I guess you're right." Kit pouted.

"If we're going to make dinner, we might want to figure out what we have to cook then." said Lelouch sitting up.

"I wonder if we can get daddy to help." said Kit.

"Maybe. But that's a big maybe."

"You can go get him."

"Wait? Why me? You're his son!" said Lelouch with a smile.

"Cause daddy scares me when he like this." said Kit sadly.

"Oh, alright, then I'll go talk to him I suppose." said Lelouch, feeling somewhat sorry for Kit. Then he stood up and headed upstairs to Leon's office.

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When he got upstairs he starred at the door for a moment. Then after a quiet knock he heard, "Not right now Lelouch, I'm busy."

Lelouch still opened the door a crack and peeked in to see Leon standing in front of his computer reading something.

"How'd you know it was me?" He asked curiously.

"Because Ashtor knows better than disturb me and Kit doesn't like to." said Leon closing the window on the largest screen.

"That's because you scare him when you're like this."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because Kit flat out told me 'daddy scares me when he's like this.' He just wants you back to normal." said Lelouch opening the door the rest of the way.

"That's not very easy to do." sighed Leon turning around to look at him.

When Lelouch saw his brother's face he saw that he looked unusually tired.

"Why don't you stop pushing yourself for something you've already achieved?" said Lelouch, stepping out on a limb.

"Then what am I going to do for the rest of my life?" Leon muttered, sitting in his chair.

"Maybe strive to be the perfect father instead?" Lelouch suggested. "You're already one of the best pilots in the world, now why not try to be one of the best fathers? Right now you're not doing so good considering Kit won't even come near you."

Leon just sighed and slouched in his chair.

"Kit was wondering if you wanted to cheer up a bit and come help us make dinner." said Lelouch.

He still said nothing.

"I care Leon, you know that, right?" Lelouch asked.

"And why would you? You hardly know me."

"Because you've given me a new home and a place where I can feel human. Here I've been reminded that I'm just…….. A kid, and nothing more. Just like you should be. Anyway, think about it, we'll be downstairs." said Lelouch softly, then he left the room, closing the door behind him.

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After a while, Lelouch and Kit were in the kitchen going through some of Leon's recipes.

"How does anyone read any of these?" Lelouch muttered, picking up a recipe card covered in Leon's loopy, cursive handwriting.

"I don't know. What's that one?" Kit asked from his seat on the kitchen counter.

"I think it's a recipe for Chicken soup, but I can't read the ingredients." Lelouch sighed, scratching the top of his head.

"What's this one?" Kit asked, trying to read a card.

Lelouch took the card and starred. "I can't tell. I can't even read what it is."

"Well that one's not going to make a very good dinner I can assure you." came Leon's familiar voice.

Lelouch looked up to see Leon smiling over his shoulder.

"So you came to join us did you?" Lelouch asked as Leon picked Kit up off the counter in a hug.

"I had a long thought about what you said." Leon admitted. "And I realized you were right. It's time I focused more on this little guy here instead of work."

Kit giggled as Leon gently tickled him.

"So you're going to spend more time with me daddy?" Kit asked.

"I've got two weeks off Kit, we'll do whatever you want."

"Well right now I want dinner, I'm hungry."

"Alright then, we'll figure out dinner."

"So what's this one anyway?" Lelouch asked holding up the unreadable recipe card.

"It's my recipe for fried candy bars. That's why I said it won't make a very good dinner."

"Oh. I can't even read the thing. Your handwriting's terrible." said Lelouch with a smile.

"I know it is. What were you two looking for anyway?"

"Something simple. But we can't read any of them." said Lelouch.

"Well how about I make something quick then?"

"Like what?" Lelouch asked.

"You'll see." said Leon smiling.

Before long Kit and Lelouch were watching in awe as Leon took over the kitchen.

He worked methodically as he poured things into a pot muttering to himself.

"It's like someone put a cooking show on fast forward." Kit whispered, making Lelouch laugh.

"It's just that I know the whole recipe by heart. It's one my mother taught me when I was little and I hardly have to do any work to make it." said Leon with a chuckle.

"What are you making anyway daddy?" Kit asked.

"One of your favorites Kit."

"Toad in the hole?" Kit asked excitedly.

"Exactly."

Lelouch felt somewhat unsure about the food all of the sudden.

"What are we eating?" he asked unsurely.

"Don't let the name fool you Lelouch, it's nothing of the sort. It's fried sausages with Yorkshire pudding batter. It's a traditional British dish. As for where the name comes from I have absolutely no idea."

"Well at least there's no frogs." Lelouch sighed in relief.

"Eww! That'd be gross!" said Kit sticking his tongue out.

"I wouldn't be eating it then either, of that I can assure you." said Leon with a chuckle.

Dinner easily made it to the table in a timely fashion and Lelouch once again felt at peace with his new family as they shared cheerful conversations.

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Later that night, Lelouch sat out on his balcony, watching the light of a lighthouse shine just a few miles south of where they were.

"It's getting late Lelouch, you best get to bed." said Leon walking out onto the balcony.

"I know. I just wanted to sit outside for a little bit." Lelouch admitted.

"It's definitely calming out here isn't it?" said Leon sitting beside him.

"I feel very peaceful for the first time in a very long time. Here I miss my little family, but I know that the ones left are better off in the world without me."

"That's a good way of thinking about it." said Leon.

Lelouch starred as he stretched out his legs resting his huge feet on the balcony railing.

Which had to of been nearly four feet away from the chair.

"I wish I was as tall as you." Lelouch sighed.

"No you don't. Trust me. You can never find pants, you get scrunched up in the seat when you fly, and you trip over your own shoes. Provided you can find them big enough." said Leon with a lopsided grin. "I absolutely hate it. The only thing it's good for is scaring my subordinates into following their orders."

This time Lelouch laughed.

"That's an interesting way of thinking about it." he admitted.

"Most of the new guys, when they first come in, they don't want to listen to me because they're all older. Then they realize that I'm bigger, I'm stronger, and I can beat them into the ground in a heartbeat if they decide they want to see what happens when they piss me off."

"What kind of pilot are you anyway?" Lelouch asked curiously.

"A fighter pilot. I fly F-18 super hornets on an aircraft carrier."

"Interesting choice of a first job."

"Yeah, well, it was better than working at the local fast food joint, I can tell you that."

"But now you've got nothing left to achieve in your life. It's like…… when I actually became Emperor there wasn't much left for me to do because I wasn't intending to become emperor. So I united the entire world by making them hate me and think I'm a tyrant then I had Suzaku kill me. Though I guess my plan didn't work out entirely."

"Yeah but here you've now got a future ahead of you. Mind you here you might not make the history books."

"I don't think I want to." Lelouch admitted. "I'd rather just be…….. A normal kid. Something I never got to be."

"Good, because come August you're going back to school. You're at the age though when you'll be a senior. Any idea what your going to do when you finish?"

"I couldn't even decide before I came up with my revenge scheme back home. It was either continue school or join the workforce." he shrugged.

"Well there's quite a few more options out there in this world."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"My brother Roderick, my twin? He trains beluga whales."

Lelouch starred. "He trains whales? To do what?"

"Different tricks and behaviors. My mother Jamie, she's a killer whale trainer."

"I didn't know there was such a job." Lelouch admitted.

"There's plenty of interesting jobs here. I remember when I was little, the woman that took me in off the streets told me that there was more to life then office buildings and dead end jobs, all I had to do was find something interesting. I fell in love with flying so here I am. Of course it has taken it's toll on me, but I'm not giving it up. What about you? What did you love to do?"

Lelouch sat and thought for a moment, then he realized there wasn't anything.

"Other than spending time with my sister……… Nothing." he shrugged. "I mean…. I played chess, but I didn't really love it. It was more just gambling with the nobility and laughing when they lost. Kinda scary really. I did like spending time with my friends though I didn't always like what we were doing."

"That's sad. Oh well, you've got some time to think." said Leon standing up, ruffling Lelouch's hair. "Anyway, get to bed kid."

"Hey Leon?" Lelouch asked before Leon could walk back inside.

"Yes?"

"Who cut my hair?" he asked curiously.

"Ashtor did. There was a lot of dried blood in the back that we couldn't get out. Unfortunately all he knows is a military cut. The good news is, you were unconscious for a little over three weeks so it began growing back which is why it doesn't look too funny anymore."

Lelouch just blushed a little. "At least now I know why I'm almost healed."

"That too." agreed Leon. "Goodnight Lelouch."

"Goodnight Leon."

After Leon had left the room, Lelouch got up and decided it was late enough that he should get to sleep. So he quickly changed and turned off his light, pulling the comforter over his head before drifting off to sleep ending another interesting day in his new home.

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Ginger: And that's it for chapter three. It's going to start getting a little funnier now that the seriousness has been established. Anyway, thanks again to Digidreamer who keeps me going on this thing and now to one sided pancake who is also reviewing. I'm glad you two love Kit! He's an interesting little tyke, that's for sure, and he thanks you too!