Chapter 8: A Kururugi Christmas

Well guys, here's another chapter. I really hope you like it. I worked pretty hard on it. :)

Lelouch blinked in confusion. Where were they now? They appeared to be standing in the poor section of Tokyo, in front of a small, sparsely decorated house. Turning to C.C. he asked the witch "What is this place?" C.C. smiled. "It belongs to a certain over-worked under-paid clerk of yours." Lelouch looked back at the house with new interest. 'So, this is where he lives.'

Just then, the clerk in question emerged around the street corner with a bag of groceries in his arms. He entered the house and the invisible pair followed him. "Hey everyone! I'm- OUCH! Seriously Arthur!?" Lelouch looked for the source of his clerk's discomfort and found it: a gray cat with black paws and a black patch of fur over his right eye had its teeth embedded in Suzaku's ankle.

A kind voice came around the corner. "Well well. It's about time you got back." The person who entered the entry hall shocked Lelouch to his core! For standing there was a beautiful young woman in a dress with a simple white top and long orange skirt, with familiar pink hair and an even more familiar gentle smile on her face. Suzaku smiled back, despite the pain in his ankle. "Good to be back, Euphie." The two shared a quick kiss and Lelouch seriously doubted this was a dream. Because in dreams, you can't faint.

When he came to, he saw that C.C. had been kind enough to pause the shadow they were observing so he wouldn't miss anything. Lelouch slowly got up from the floor and stood open-mouthed at the sight of his long-lost sister greeting his clerk in such a familiar fashion. He turned to C.C. after a moment, and asked the most obvious question. "How…?" His guide simply smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."

By then Euphie had picked up Arthur and a soft voice came form the living room. "Hello Suzaku. Welcome home." Lelouch stopped in surprise as he took in the sight of the room. It was poorly furnished, the Christmas Tree could have passed for a 'Christmas Branch', and the decorations were made entirely from paper.

There was a woman with short dark brown hair and brown eyes in what appeared to be a maid's uniform sitting at a small table. She gave Suzaku a formal greeting, but she was not the one who drew Lelouch's gaze. Sitting across from the maid was a young girl of about fifteen years with long sandy brown hair. She was sitting in a wheel chair and her eyes were closed, probably signifying blindness. But the smile that graced her face was one of pure contentment and happiness. Lelouch was captivated by the sight. A girl who could not walk or see, but could still smile through it all?

His musings were interrupted by Suzaku's voice. "Hello Nunnally. I see you and Sayoko started on the ornaments already." It was this remark that caused Lelouch to notice that the table between the two ladies was covered with origami cranes. Nunnally was folding them while the maid, Sayoko, was putting them on paperclip hooks in order to hang them on the tree.

Just then they were joined by two others: a tall, lanky young man of about seventeen who appeared to be Japanese-Britannian with blue eyes and silver hair, and a girl of fifteen with blond hair and red eyes. Euphie smiled at them. "Oh, Rai, Alice, would you please take these groceries to the kitchen for us." The two eagerly obeyed, taking peeks at the contents of the bags and chuckling in anticipation.

"Now," Suzaku said while looking around, "where is that cousin on mine?" Nunnally's face became downcast, a horrible contrast to her first expression, making Lelouch want to do something to return the corners of her mouth to their proper locations. "I'm afraid Kaguya's not coming this year." Suzaku frowned. "Not coming? On Christmas Day? That's awful!" Just then he was tackled from behind as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. "Just kidding!" a very excited voice exclaimed. Suzaku regained his balance just in time to prevent them from falling. He turned to the young girl who had ambushed him. She was a short girl about fourteen years old with black hair, green eyes, and a beaming smile on her face. "Well thank goodness" Suzaku said. "I was starting to worry that we might actually get a quiet meal for once." Kaguya pouted at this remark, while soft laughter could be heard from the others in the room. Lelouch and C.C. also found themselves joining in at the spectacle.

At Euphie's insistence, Suzaku took a seat by the fire with Nunnally. The blind girl turned her head in his direction. "So how was your trip to the store?" He smiled. "It went very well, actually. Tamaki got into a fight over some spilled milk, literally, but he managed to calm down. I guess Christmas really can work miracles." Nunnally laughed at this statement. It seemed that 'Tamaki the troublemaker' has struck again. Then Nunnally smiled at Suzaku and said "Do you know what Sayoko told me today? She said that according to Japanese legend if you fold a thousand of these cranes, your wish will come true." Euphie asked her what wish she had, causing the girl to think for a moment before a bright smile crossed her face. "I wish the world were a gentler place. Besides that, I already have everything I could want."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Everyone turned towards it expectantly as Sayoko went to open it. A cheerful voice rang through the house. "Thank you, Sayoko. Hello everyone! Merry Christmas!" Lelouch's eyes widened in surprise. For entering the house was another familiar woman: none other than Shirley Fenette! She was just removing her coat, causing Lelouch to see the simple yet beautiful green dress she wore underneath it. Although, the dress wasn't the only thing beautiful about her. What struck Lelouch the most about her was that her eyes seemed alive again. And that made him glad. C.C. smirked at him. "Oh ho. You seem happy to see her." Lelouch tried to play innocent. "The last time I saw her was...", he couldn't finish that sentience. It was still too painful. "So," he continued, "of course I'm glad to see her doing alright again." The witch nodded in understanding.

Euphie got up from her chair and embraced the orange-haired girl in warm, sisterly hug. "Sorry I'm late, Euphie. I had a bit more work than I expected today." The pinket just waved the comment off. "As long as your here, don't worry about it." Shirley was then tackled by the ever-energetic Kaguya Sumeragi, who referred to the older woman as 'aunt Shirley'. It seemed that Shirley had some past history with this family.

Nunnally smiled as she felt a hand on hers. "Hey Shirley. Glad you could make it." Shirley's face brightened. "Hey Nunna. Merry Christmas. Wow! Your cranes just keep getting better each year!" The younger girl was about to respond when she was suddenly overcome by a fit of coughing. Lelouch's looked on in concern as she pulled out a handkerchief to cover her mouth. To Lelouch's horror, when she drew it away from her mouth, he could see blood stains on it. Shirley quietly asked if she was okay. The girl turned to her as said she was fine, responding with that same gentle smile that had adorned her face when Lelouch had first seen her. He quickly deduced that being blind and crippled were not the only things she was afflicted with, but it only added to the wonder he had that she was able to smile through it. (A.N. Kind of AU, but not totally. I just gave her Xingke's disease.)

Euphie then asked Shirley if she wouldn't mind giving her a hand in the kitchen, which the oranget accepted with her usual eagerness. Lelouch blinked in surprise. 'Shirley...in the kitchen?' She had never been all that good in Milly's cooking classes, being somewhat clumsy in the kitchen. But, on the other hand, maybe she had improved over the past four years.

As the two women rolled up their sleeves and began to prepare the food, Shirley asked Euphie about how they were all doing. Euphie sighed. "Rai still hasn't remembered anything about his past, but it doesn't seem to bother him that much. And Alice is still always looking out for Nunnally." Shirley laughed a bit at this. "It's almost as it she's Nunna's personal knight or something." Euphie laughed as well. "Well, that could be one way to describe it" she agreed.

As Shirley began slicing vegetables, she asked "So how's Nunna behaving?" Euphie smiled. "As good as gold, and better! Somehow she gets thoughtful sitting by herself so much. She told me when we were coming home from church that she hoped that people saw her, because she was crippled and blind. And it might be pleasant for them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see." Her voice trembled in emotion as she said this, and Shirley looked at her friend in concern. Euphie gave a small smile and told her not to worry about her.

Lelouch's sister then asked how Shirley's mother was doing, which caused Lelouch to listen even more intensely. She said that she was doing much better now that they had managed to find a more affordable apartment. Euphie asked worriedly if it was okay to be spending Christmas with them instead of with her mother, but Shirley just explained that her mother was happy that she had found such good friends.

Euphie looked down for a moment then asked "Have you heard anything from...my brother?" Lelouch felt his heart clench in guilt again. Was he such a touchy subject that she had a hard time even saying his name? 'Well' he thought, it's not like I deserve anything else from them.' Shirley answered with a quiet 'no'. It was clear to Lelouch that they still felt the pain of his actions, his selfishness...his betrayal. But Shirley managed to put a smile on her face. "Well, maybe one day he'll come around. It must be very lonely for him." Euphie smiled back. "Maybe, someday, he'll be able to see the reason behind Nunnally's smile." Shirley looked confused, a sentiment that the spectral observer shared, and Euphie explained. "Ever since she lost the use of her legs and eyes, she's known that there are thing in life she would never be able to do. So her smile...is her way of showing gratitude for the things she still has." Lelouch turned to look at the girl in question with awe. "A remarkable child" he said softly. C.C. simply nodded in agreement.

Then Alice and Rai came to help in the kitchen, while Kaguya and Sayoko spread the table cloth upon the small dinner table. Suzaku meanwhile sat with Nunnally as they chatted away. While they watched, Lelouch asked C.C. "How has my sister come to have these children under her care? They are obviously not related by birth, but they treat her like a mother." C.C. looked at the children in sympathy. "They're survivors from the war. During the fighting many children, both Japanese and Britannian, were left homeless, struggling to survive on their own. Your sister and clerk found these poor souls and gave them a place to live. Eventually they grew into a family."

She looked at each member and explained their situations. "The boy, Rai, had completely lost his memories and even now he can't recall his past before the war. Alice watched her parents and sister die, which is why she's so protective of Nunnally. Kaguya had nowhere else to go, so her cousin took her in. Sayoko serves them out of gratitude for saving her life when they gave her shelter and food. And Nunnally, her wounds left her crippled but the trauma left her blinded. Her weakened state left her susceptible to the disease that plagues her now." She smiled. "They also rescued that cat too." Lelouch nodded thoughtfully, then asked another question that had been bugging him for a while now. "How on earth did my sister and clerk ever meet?" C.C. shook her head. "Not telling." Lelouch gritted his teeth in frustration. "You know," the green-hared witch said, "you could just ask her yourself when this is over." Lelouch swallowed at the concept.

At last the meal was ready, and those assembled gathered at the table. The main attraction of the meal was a whole roasted chicken in place of the traditional turkey. This was accompanied by apple-sauce, mashed potatoes with a bit of gravy to go with it, and warm home-made rolls. A hearty apatite awaited the meager but very much appreciated feast. Afterwords, Euphemia brought out a traditional plumb pudding, which they had for desert.

Then they all went into the living room, where the fire had been made up by Sayoko, while Euphie took orders for the hot chocolate they would be having. Lelouch smiled. It seemed that she had kept the 'Christmas Coco' tradition alive all this time. Shirley, Rai and Alice wanted marshmallows while Euphie, Kaguya and Nunnally wanted wiped cream, and Suzaku and Sayoko just wanted theirs plane. Soon enough, the group was gathered around the fireplace with their mugs in hand and smiles on their faces.

As they talked, Lelouch noticed how Suzaku's hand never left Nunnally's, as if he was afraid that something would take her away.

He turned to his guide. "C.C., tell me if Nunnally will live." The immortal woman's gaze and tone were solemn as she answered. "I see a vacant wheelchair by the chimney corner, and a single origami crane carefully preserved resting upon it. If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, the child will die." Lelouch's face grew pail. "No, no! Oh no, spirit! Say she will be spared!" Her gaze did not soften. "If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, no other ghost of Christmas Present shall find her here." Lelouch begged her again to reassure him that it would not be so. She turned to him. "What of it? If she is likely to die she had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

Lelouch hung his head in shame as she turned his own words against him. He was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at C.C. as her gaze softened. "Man, if you are a man in heart, forget those words until you have discovered what the surplus is and where it is. It may be, in the sight of heaven, that you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child." Lelouch hung his head again.

He brought it back up again, however, when her heard his name spoken. "Lelouch Lamperouge!" He looked up to see Euphie holding her mug high. "To my poor, misguided brother, Lelouch Lamperouge, the founder of the feast!" Suzaku snorted. "Founder of the feast indeed. If I had him here I'd give him a piece of my mind to feast on with a taste of my fist for desert, too." "Dear," Euphie said in a mild tone, "the children; Christmas Day." Suzaku still looked sullen, recalling, no doubt, the words C.C. had repeated to their orator. "I'll drink his health for your sake and the Day's. Not for his. A Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to the wicked old-." "Dear" Euphie admonished gently. Suzaku sighed in defeat. "To Lelouch Lamperouge" he muttered. The family and guest drank the toast without any cheer. Lelouch, it seemed, was a sore subject with them.

Then a small smile tugged at the corners of Suzaku's mouth. "I do often wonder...what he was like before he became what he is today. You and Shirley seem to have had some more pleasant memories of him then I do." His smile widened. "And probably a few good stories to tell." Lelouch started to get nervous, but he was comforted that the question was not being asked in the presence of Milly Ashford. That would be a recipe for disaster, a dish that the Ashford girl was very good at preparing.

Fortunately, Kaguya spoke up at this point. "Speaking of stories, could you tell us the one of how you two first met?" Suzaku and Euphie laughed. "You've already heard that one a hundred times!" Suzaku stated with a smile at his incorrigible cousin. "Why hear it again?" Kaguya simply gave him a 'cute-girl-face' attack, something few people could ever resist. "Because I like it" she responded cheerfully.

Suzaku laughed again as he launched into the narrative. Everyone leaned closer in order to catch every word, but none were listening more intently than a certain purple-eyed specter. "Yes, please. Do tell us" he said. Suzaku cleared his throat and began. "Well, it all started four years ago. I was just walking down the street after being rejected by the military when all of the sudden an angel fell right into my arms." Euphie giggled at the comment as she took up her side of the tale. "I was trying to get away from my parents. They were constantly trying to make me into a 'proper lady' so they could merry me off to some rich stranger." Lelouch let out a growl as he heard these words.

"So, I took every opportunity I could to get away for some time to just be me." She started laughing. "I even climbed out of second-story windows in full view of the street without looking. That's how desperate I got." Suzaku grinned. "So she makes up some excuse that bad people were chasing her and asked me if I could accompany her. So, I became her chaperone for the day." Lelouch would have scolded his sister for being too trusting of strangers, not to mention jumping out of tall buildings, but he figured that it had turned out okay in the end. 'She was always rather impulsive' he remembered.

"And then, we stumbled across a poor kitty with a wounded paw" Euphie continued. Suzaku winced. "And when I tried to pet him, he gave me a 'wounded paw' of my own." Lelouch realized that they were talking about their cat, Arthur. "We hit it off immediately, and the rest is history" Suzaku finished. Shirley and the other girls sighed at the tale, while Rai and Sayoko simply smiled. Rai then mentioned that he had found a job that, if obtained, could help them bring in some extra money, and that he was already considering it. This caused Suzaku to smile proudly at his surrogate son. Shirley took this opportunity to raise her mug of coco. "A Merry Christmas to us all! God bless us!" The toast was echoed by all those assembled as they clinked their mugs together. "God bless us everyone." said Nunnally the last of all.

Lelouch looked at the family. They were not a very remarkable bunch to look at; they were not well dressed; the clothes they had on were threadbare; and Rai might have known, and most likely did know, the inside of a pawn shop. But they were happy, contented with one another, and grateful. He had everything on earth that they did not have, and yet at the same time they had everything he did not have. There could not have been more drastic opposites of himself anywhere on earth. And as they faded, Lelouch kept his eyes on them, and especially on Nunnally, Shirley, and Euphie, until the last.

Well...how was it? Please feel free to drop in a review and let me know. I always wanted Euphie and Shirley to meet and become friends. Disclaimer: I do not own the game 'Code Geass: Lost Colors' or the manga 'Nightmare of Nunnally', or any of the characters that I have used from them. Meaning Rai and Alice respectively.

I have to thank Deamon's Anarchy of Pride for introducing me to Rai and Alice. If you haven't already, check out his story 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R-eset'. As allways, till next time and Merry Christmas! :D