DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters belong to Sunrise, Inc. I'm just one of those who prefers happy endings.

A/N: Looks like review posting is back to normal. Now, show no mercy!

Counting Down, Taking Off

"Lelouch," Kallen whispered even before she opened her eyes. She had this feeling that he was calling her. She opened her eyes fully when she didn't receive a response from him.

"Ah, you're awake," came a much older man's voice. She didn't recognize it to be of any of her doctors'. Lelouch was nowhere to be found.

"Lelouch is rather, tied up, at the moment," the man supplied. "The hospital director asked me to sit with you until he was done with him.

"My name is Arthur," he introduced himself, holding out his hand.

"Kallen," she responded, accepting and giving the man's hand a shake.

"Kallen," he expressed his surprise. "Like the doctor?"

Kallen nodded. "I was named after her."

"It suits you," he complimented. "There's a strength in your eyes, just like her."

"Thank you." Kallen blushed at being likened to her idol.

"Do you mind if we talked a bit more?"

"If you don't mind me suddenly falling asleep," she warned, with a laugh, and winced.

"Your stitches haven't fully healed yet; my apologies. I promise, no funny stories." She smiled back at his consideration.

"I heard Lelouch made it into Camelot."

"He did," Kallen replied, smiling briefly at the memory of their day at Clovisland. "We even celebrated when we found out."

"Had he always wanted to go?"

"Yes," she replied. "But he almost didn't submit his application. I had to give him a lesson about regrets."

"Regrets?"

Kallen breathed a deep sigh before explaining. "He and I were best friends since we were young. ―er." She quickly added the suffix, considering present company. "I had a weak body, you see, so there were so many things I could only ever imagine. He was healthy, and very intelligent, but also very uninterested. Camelot was something we both dreamed about, but between the two of us, he had the better chance. In a way I bullied him into at least trying because I never could.

"And when we got the news, he was ecstatic, and I was so proud of him. I wanted him to go."

"Then why didn't he?"

"It's... complicated."

"I'd like to hear it just the same."

Kallen sighed once and turned her head to face the man directly. "What would you like to hear me say,

"Prince Arthur of Camelot?"

The man was mildly surprised. "So, you know who I am."

Kallen nodded. "Fifth and youngest son to Her Majesty, Nunnally vi Britannia; currently nineteenth in line to the throne after your elder siblings' children and grandchildren; unmarried; known intellectual; director of Camelot for over fifty years."

"And," she finished, "Dr. Kallen Sinclair's most high-profile patient."

"Impressive."

"Your lapel pin sort of narrowed it down, too," she pointed out, earning an "Oops!" from the man. She waited a moment before continuing. "Dr. Kallen is also my idol," she explained. "I hoped to follow in her footsteps, someday."

"'Hoped'?"

Kallen shrugged. "I already lost my chance, because of my operation. Not many universities offer scholarships if you're not fresh out of high school. It would be a while before I can even be healthy enough to find a job, even longer before I could raise the money to pay for medical school."

"But," she quickly added, "I have Lelouch, now. We'll have to talk this over. I'm sure we'll think of something."

"Why would you need to talk this over with Lelouch?"

"He's my husband," she replied.

"You're married?" Arthur was unable to hide his surprise.

"Yes, right before my surgery," she blushed at the memory, and let the warmth she felt back then spread throughout her body. "I still don't know how he found out about my surgery ― I never told him, since it coincided with his flight to Camelot ― but he caught me right before the procedure, and we married right there and then. That's also why my hospital documents still use my maiden name."

"I see," Arthur spoke, "That definitely complicates things."

-.o.O.o.-

Lelouch hadn't slept a wink.

The three girls watching him had taken turns taking short naps (even using him as a pillow), but he stayed awake. He couldn't sleep, not until Prince Arthur came back and he was sure he hadn't upset Kallen.

He listened to what they had to say, which pretty much translated to come back to Camelot with the four of us, or else. He said he wasn't going to commit to anything, only that he would send them a proper response after Kallen had fully recovered.

"Kallen?"

"A patient here," his uncle explained. "A childhood friend of his." The fact that his uncle omitted mention of their true relationship didn't escape Lelouch's notice.

"I'd like to speak to this Kallen."

"She only just came out of a drug-induced coma, Arthur. She's resting."

"Then I'll wait till she wakes."

"Uncle!"

Naoya held out a hand for Lelouch to stay silent. Addressing the older man, he went on. "Arthur, prince or no, if you as much as upset any of my patients, I will have you escorted out of my hospital immediately. Have I made myself clear?"

"Very well. You can come and make sure I won't. Keep him here, girls."

"Yes, Grand-uncle."

That was over eight hours ago. The sun was already shining through the gaps in the blinds. They still haven't heard anything, and Lelouch partly hoped Kallen didn't wake up and they'd lose interest.

"Say," said the girl sitting to his right, the most feminine of the three. "Is Kallen pretty?" So much for losing interest.

"Of course, she is," came the response from the one on his left, the tough girl. "All men are suckers for pretty faces."

"However," came the voice of the third girl whose eyes never seemed to leave the tablet she carried, "considering Lelouch's scores that got him accepted to Camelot, she would have to be smart, too. Able to at least keep his mind stimulated in more than just academics. Isn't that right, Lelouch?"

"She's both of those and more," Lelouch found himself answering while one hand fiddled with the band on his finger. "I don't expect you to understand."

"Because we're young? Truth be told, the three of us are the only other people in the program you qualified for."

"And we were just so happy to have someone new aboard―"

"―that we were all disappointed you didn't show."

"What are you three, anyway," Lelouch finally let his curiousity take over. "Triplets?"

"Cousins," said the tough girl. "All born within thirty minutes of each other, we practically are triplets."

"I'm actually the eldest," said the one with the tablet. "But my folks lived further east, so―"

"Her birthday's a day after ours," chorused the other two.

"Don't worry about Kallen, Lelouch," offered the girl at his right. "Grand-uncle Arthur's only doing this because he didn't like seeing us sad."

"Yeah. He's not married, but he hates seeing girls sad―"

"―so we don't think she'd get the same treatment you did."

Somewhat relieved, Lelouch let some of the tension he felt melt away. "Thanks. But all the same, I'd like to see for myself."

"By the way," he quickly added, "do you always complete each other's sentences like that?"

"What are you talking about?" came the three-way chorus.

In the next moment, a beep came from the tablet the eldest girl was holding. "Grand-uncle wants us to go to Kallen's room, now."

Lelouch was already running out the door before the statement was over. Arriving first, he immediately sought out Kallen's gaze. She held out her hand to him when their eyes met, and he was at her bedside instantly.

"I'm fine, Lelouch," she spoke ahead of him. His worry was probably evident. As with other times where their emotions were high, the rest of their conversation was done through their eyes. Satisfied, Lelouch stood up and faced Arthur. Naoya was already there. The girls arrived shortly afterward and were instructed to lock the door behind them.

"Before anything else," Arthur began, "let's all get to know everybody. We already know who I am, Naoya, Lelouch, and Kallen," he said, nodding to each of the adults in the room in turn. "These are my grand-nieces, Gwen," the feminine one. "Kay," the tough girl, "and Merle. They're part of the new program in Camelot that Lelouch was supposed to be a part of."

"If you don't mind," he went on, "I'd like to start with the bad news. Girls, he's not coming back with us. I'd be a hypocrite if I forced Lelouch to leave this young lady in her current condition.

"However," he quickly added over the sounds of disappointment from the girls and addressed Lelouch directly, "I must insist that you join the program before the year is out. That should be more than enough time for Kallen to fully recover."

Lelouch felt Kallen's hand clutch at his sleeve. It meant whatever he decided, he had her support. He knew that Kallen would need until midsummer to recover completely, but he wasn't sure he could just leave her or take her with him afterward.

"You're conflicted," Arthur observed. "Again, understandable. Kallen told me this interesting little story about what happened on the date of your flight." Here, Lelouch exchanged a look with his uncle; he didn't seem worried. "What I learned from it required another big change in plans.

"You obviously can't live in the student dorms with your wife." A squee from Gwen was quickly cut off with a look from her grand-uncle. "And finding a place close enough but outside Camelot will be beyond expensive, even for two people with full-time income.

"Then I remembered this place from when I was younger, and sick all the time. It was built for my doctor, so she would be close by when I needed her. When Camelot expanded, the property included the land the house was in, though my doctor had long since moved back to her ancestral home by then. But the house still stands."

"Lelouch. What do you say to living in the Sinclair House with your Kallen?"

A gasp from Kallen and a slight tightening at his sleeve gave him the response he needed.

"We accept."

"But," Lelouch quickly added, "there is this one thing."

Arthur smiled. "I had a feeling you would bring it up."

-.o.O.o.-

"You did that on purpose," accused Arthur as they walked back to Naoya's office.

The latter shrugged. "Guilty as charged. I wanted you to meet them both before deciding anything."

"It's good that you did. I see a bit of the good doc in her."

"Thanks for letting them have the house."

Arthur waved it off. "The house does rightfully belong to your family. If anything, I'm giving it back. Besides, Camelot will be better with both of them around."

"You saw it, then?"

Arthur nodded. "The potential is there. What it can be is entirely up to them."

"So long as they stay together."

-.o.O.o.-

"So, here we are."

With their duffel bags still upon their shoulders long after the taxi they arrived in already left, Lelouch and Kallen stood some distance in front of what was nicknamed the Sinclair House, named after its well-known former occupant.

Dr. Kallen Kouzuki Stadtfeld-Sinclair.

Lelouch felt Kallen reach for his hand and he grasped it. He could only imagine how she felt, getting to stand this close to where her idol and namesake once lived with her husband.

With her own husband, no less.

He took a glance at her and wondered once more at her now fiery-red hair, highlighted by the late afternoon sunlight. It had always been a deep burgundy while they were growing up. Apparently, after the operation on her lungs, the oxygen saturation in her blood improved dramatically, which was the only explanation they could give for the change. Looking at her now, standing here, people might just say that Dr. Kallen was coming home.

Which, in a way, was also true. As part of the deal they made with Prince Arthur, she was given a chance to apply for a scholarship to pursue medical studies at Camelot, long after the usual cutoff. When the results came out, she was more than qualified. Arthur had actually offered to give the scholarship outright, having heard Kallen's story, but Lelouch insisted on going through the standard procedures.

(Just humor him, Arthur. He hates getting special treatment, according to Naoya)

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

"A dream come true," Lelouch replied, giving her hand a squeeze.

Kallen's recovery wasn't without its own mishaps. There were times she over-exerted herself, drunk as she was with her newfound freedom from her asthma. With his training in the track team, Lelouch became her personal coach, setting limits that would let the rest of her body catch up with her now-stronger lungs, step-by-agonizingly-slow-step. It was only when Lelouch was satisfied with her progress did they agree to start with the wedding plans (which they agreed to do for the sake of their families), and contacting Camelot.

And so after a simple ceremony and an intimate dinner with their families, they flew straight here to start their new lives together.

The front door to Sinclair House opened to reveal Merle. "Just how long do you two plan on just standing there?"

In the next moment, they were divested of the bags on their shoulders. Gwen and Kay had relieved them of their burdens.

"Your suitcases are already in the master bedroom," said Gwen. "And your wedding presents are in the living room."

"The fridge is stocked, and so are the cupboards. You're good for two weeks," added Kay.

"Pipes and power are all upgraded," supplied Merle, stepping aside to let her cousins pass. "Security is also online, if you will just give me your prints here," she held out her tablet to them, where they pressed their fingers as instructed. "Thank you. The house is all yours!"

"Welcome home!" said Gwen, hugging the both of them as she exited the front door again.

"Your schedules are on the fridge," popped in Kay. "You have ten days or so to get to know the place. Have fun!" She finished with a slap on Lelouch's back.

"Y-e-e-ah," said Merle, apparently run out of something to say, until she remembered something. "Oh, Grand-uncle had Dr. Kallen's old car refurbished. The keys are in the ignition. Your prints are good, too, if you're not into all that nostalgia thing." She then left to join the other two to where their bikes (or in Kay's case, a scooter) were parked.

"Don't be late!" Each of the girls drove away waving back at them.

Lelouch and Kallen waved at the cousins until they were out of sight.

"We forgot to say thank-you," observed Kallen.

"Well," Lelouch said, pulling her close. "We can thank them in ten days,"

"That we can," she agreed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"The house is ours."

"They did say that," after which Kallen yelped when Lelouch lifted her up; she was expecting a kiss when he bent down. Lelouch said nothing as he carried her through the front door and kicked it closed.

"Welcome home, wife," declared Lelouch, before finally lowering his face to capture her lips. Kallen giggled into the kiss, in full agreement with his statement.

They broke the kiss and Kallen twisted her upper body, expecting to be let down, but Lelouch had other ideas. He pulled her back, which made her face him, and she saw the intensity in his eyes that she only saw once before. He captured her lips again, this time pouring his heart into it, expressing his preparedness to be one with her once more. When Kallen kicked off her shoes, he had his signal to proceed.

He carried her straight to the bedroom, with her planting kisses on his jaw and whatever her lips could reach of his handsome face the whole way.

Kallen was nervous. This would be their first time as a married couple. They waited the whole time she was recovering, and decided to make it all the more special and waited until after they had the proper ceremony. And, with her body's improved condition, this would be nothing at all like their first time.

Lelouch let her down gently on the bed, before he kicked off his own shoes and joined her. They kissed again while pulling each other as close as possible with their clothes still on, giving their bodies the chance to be reacquainted in preparation for what was to come.

Things flowed differently this time, as well. Before, they undressed themselves, making it clear that each was making the choice as individuals. Tonight, they undressed each other, as if unwrapping one's gift of themselves to the other. Before, they focused on their connection, where they came together as separate entities. Tonight they focused on their unity, exploring each other's bodies as if they were extensions of their own.

Kallen enjoyed her newfound freedom, breathing in Lelouch's scent fully, every chance she got, even as Lelouch busied himself with leaving her breathless. When their bodies finally joined, it felt like their entire being was singing to celebrate their long-awaited reunion.

When ragged gasps and desperate cries finally made way to sighs of contentment, they held each other closer still. Lelouch's right hand sought out her left. Interlacing their fingers, he brought it up to between their chests, where they could feel their hearts beating, made even stronger with how closely they held each other.

"Kallen," he began. "I don't know what the future has in store. But as long as we're together, we can make it work. We can make things happen."

"I belong with you," she responded, "And you belong with me. I was the idiot for believing otherwise."

"I'd like to think we're stronger now for it," he supplied. "At least you are. Your lungs stole the show just then."

Kallen blushed hotly, recalling how she screamed when they found her secret spot. "That was―"

"I loved it," he interrupted, already moving to position himself above her. "I want to hear it again," he declared, kissing her deeply once again.

They made love once more that night, before finally giving in to the exhaustion from their trip and their union, wrapped still in each other's arms.

-.o.O.o.-

"Kallen, are you in position?"

"I am," she replied. "But I can't see a thing."

"That's fine. They can't see you either. We need to time this perfectly."

"Okay. Just tell me when. Lelouch, whatever happens―"

"I love you, too. Three seconds. Two. One―!"

"GO!" they chorused. In the next moment, they were engulfed in a bright light, followed by the darkness of red emergency lights of the Knightmare Frame cockpits where they each sat in.

"Kallen!"

"Lost power, but life support's active. You?"

"Shrapnel just missed my cockpit. Can you eject?"

"Okay." When she did, the screens began to display the statistics of the simulator mission they were playing. All conditions were met, with a flashing "CONGRATULATIONS!" at the end.

Kallen's simulator unit opened to reveal an exhilerated Lelouch who lifted her off it as they both laughed. Other visitors to Camelot's R&D museum clapped at their performance.

"Best team ever!"

"You know it!"

When the crowd finally dispersed, Lelouch let out a "Yow!" while a slap echoed in the hall.

"That was a dangerous maneuver!"

"It was a calculated risk," defended Lelouch, rubbing his left arm where Kallen smacked him. "Ejections are counted as survivors."

"I meant you playing decoy," she countered. "Even in the track team, you tend to see nowhere but straight ahead when you run. What if it decided to cut you off instead of tailing you?"

"You'll be there," he answered without hesitation. "You always were." He was referring to the video games they used to play.

"Shut up," said Kallen, blushing, her voice tiny.

"Somebody's early," came an older man's voice. Both Kallen and Lelouch turned to see Arthur approaching them. "You're not due for another five days."

"Your―, Arthur," Lelouch greeted, quickly correcting himself. The man didn't care much for titles. "We thought we'd look around; get to know the place."

"And decided to have at our Knightmare Frame exhibit's simulator while you're at it! Kallen," he greeted, kissing her hand. "Incredible performance, by the way."

"I'm just glad it's not real," said Kallen. "My heart was racing the whole time."

"Some would prefer the adrenaline rush," supplied Arthur.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Kallen's voice was quiet. It was in a tone even Lelouch had never heard before. Concerned, he decided that they took their leave.

Arthur went to where the program for the simulators was being monitored. As he expected, he found his three grand-nieces there.

"They beat it," spoke Kay. "They actually beat it!"

"That strategy was unprecedented," came Merle's voice. "Then that finishing move!"

"And how they worked together," said Gwen. "They trusted each other completely!"

"What does this mean, Grand-uncle?"

"It can only mean one thing," replied Arthur, the three girls giving him their full attention. "The simulators are going to need a new program if we're going to keep that exhibit interesting. Now, get to work." He left for his office as a collective groan was heard behind him.

Elsewhere,

"Are you okay?"

"I enjoyed it," Kallen's voice was unsteady. "I'm going to be a doctor, but I enjoyed the simulation. The destruction!"

"It wasn't real," Lelouch countered, pulling her close to help calm her. "You said so, yourself."

"You're right," she agreed. "Maybe I'm just tired."

"It is getting late. Let's get you home."

A/N:

Oookay, Arthur, I'm thinking, is Darlton reincarnated, while the girls were three of the Glaston Knights. Their names were taken from Arthurian characters (those I know, few as they are^^;), where applicable.

So yeah, deliberately left it hanging. Will there be babies? Will there be triple-babysitters? Will there be further appearances by their past selves? Will there be war looming around the corner? Will there be pizza?!

Like I said before, I didn't think that far ahead, so I'm finishing this here.

Hope you enjoyed the ride!

~ryder77

...NOW I want pizza.