"Speech"

'Thought'

"Geass"

"Telecommunication"

- Writing –

C.C. looked at Mao with mixed feelings. Before she regained her memories thanks to Lelouch, she had already given Geass to Mao.

He was her responsibility.

He was yet another individual she had damned.

A sense of regret was shown in her eyes. "I am here. Let those two go."

Fortunately, Mao had no idea Lelouch and C.C. were close. Lelouch had used Geass on himself to forget about C.C., and Rolo had no idea about her true identity since his every memory had been wiped out after he had been caught at the Academy a year ago. She had taken charge of a job to track down Mao, but it seems that she had failed.

'I should have been the bait, not him.'

But Lelouch just couldn't let her this time.

Making the case worse, with all their efforts in vain, he captured Lelouch and Rolo.

This was the situation she wanted the most to avoid, but if she plays her cards right, there may be a chance yet. It might be wishful thinking, but she still hoped nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Lelouch's mind was racing.

He had to find a way for Rolo and him to escape from the situation, figure out his secretary's identity and discerning her motives, try to contact Kallen and the others, figure out how to trick and keep his captor distracted and occupied, and then-

"Stay quiet!" Mao stunned Lelouch with a shocker and knock Rolo's chair down in the process. Poor Lelouch did nothing but thinking, but that was enough to disturb Mao from concentrating with flooding thoughts more than the entire crowd from bustling town square combined.

C.C. bit her lips as her accomplice fell to the ground.

While trying to hide her emotional upset, she spoke to her old acquaintance. "Let's talk, Mao. We have so many things to catch up. Why don't we talk privately where no one can disturb us? You and me, just like the old times." This was a time for her to adopt one of Lelouch's strategy, lying. She slowly stepped back to draw Mao away from his captives. Since the distance between them was more than a dozen meters away, she couldn't just rush in and save them fast enough. However, if she draws him sufficiently away, she can take out Mao in 1 on 1 with the element of surprise.

'All I need is a few meters…'

"Of course! Right after I kill these two."

"No!" She replied instinctively. She regretted her action a moment later, but what choice did she have?

"It will soon be over." He directed his gun towards Lelouch. His maniacal voice echoed through the place. "After this, let's retire and head to Australia! I built this big house there, and you will love it!"

Rolo was desperately trying to untie the rope. Thanks to the fall over, some part of the knot became slightly loose, so he was able to initiate the process. He was making some progress, but from the evil grin made by Mao towards him, the captor clearly knew what was going on behind his back. He didn't fully grasp the whole Geass thing, but he understood that Mao could read minds. However, he pressed on nonetheless. Even if he fails, if his action draws Mao's attention to him instead of his dear brother at least for a moment, he would call it a success.

However, to no avail, he could only helplessly saw Mao putting his finger on the trigger.

He could see it clearly, like as if the thing was happening in slow motion.

Rolo had no past memories before Lelouch and Nunnally found him. Ever since the memories he gathered and accumulated included his sworn brother.

Sure, Lelouch was an Imperial prince with awesome talents and abilities, (And even that would be an understatement.) but that didn't stop him from treating Rolo as his sibling.

Living with them felt like filling missing hole in his heart that himself didn't even know was there.

So he had tried to repay since he only received so far.

But he failed, and even worse, big brother was about to die because of him.

Not once in his life he prayed so badly.

All he need was power to save just one person.

Power not to lose him.

Right before Mao pull the trigger, the world stopped.

"What-" When Mao realized, his gun was gone, and blood was flowing out from his chest. Mao felt his life was rapidly draining out from him as he slumped to the ground.

Rolo looked at the gun in his hand. Too much noise and hard to conceal. Not his ideal weapon of choice, but it had served its purpose nonetheless. He dropped the gun in front of Mao's corpse and kneeled down next to his sworn brother to check on him.

C.C. looked at the whole scene in awe. As a code bearer, she was able to witness the entire event, but it took some time to fully grasp the whole situation.

She couldn't have rushed in since Mao had been pointing his gun at Lelouch, but Rolo just struggled himself from the rope and take away the gun while Mao was just standing like a statue.

She realized that he used his Geass.

But he couldn't have done that since he has no knowledge of it unless-

"You…broke Lelouch's Geass?" She asked, couldn't hide her surprise.

Rolo looked back at C.C., the Directorate's most wanted target.

The first thing Lelouch saw when he woke up was C.C. staring him with tearful eyes. Before he says anything, she flung herself to him and kissed him. And with that, the command Lelouch had cast upon himself was broken.

Everything became clear at an instant. When he learned that Mao was after C.C., he knew the trail would be eventually lead to him. The worst thing he had wanted to avoid was Mao tipping of Lelouch's enemies about his acknowledgment and plan against the Emperor. All the other knowledge could be compromised. He had to forget every related knowledge that may jeopardize him, from Ragnarok connection to…C.C..

Regaining his senses, he called his accomplice who was still clinging herself to him tight.

"Okay, C.C., now I remember everything. You don't need to-" He couldn't continue his words because she pressed her lips again, again and again.

She finally let go of his mouth. After staring his face for a moment, she lowered her head to meet his chest and whimpered.

"I want to alter our contract."

Lelouch, whose eyes widened slightly because of her attitude, hugged her gently. "How?"

"I want you to live."

That was part of their original contract, but she wanted to add more. Compared to her eternal life, the boy's life was way too short. Every moment mattered. Repressing an outburst, she continued.

"Promise. Promise me that you will live through the last."

She couldn't believe herself that she was saying words like this, but she was desperate. She thought that after all the things she had been through, she would never be like this. However, she was wrong. She had lost many things during her long life, but all those things seemed so meager compared to him. She cannot lose him again.

"So that's why you broke my Geass eleven times during the past two weeks." Lelouch said with a weak smile.

"…"

"I had to use Geass on myself again every time you do that, you know."

She didn't reply. Instead, she only buried her head deeper into him. He began to stroke her long, silky hair.

He didn't expect her to be so…clinging.

It was him who usually relied on her, not the other way around.

But he knew that C.C., beneath her unwavering apathetic shell, was soft inside.

"I promise you, I will make you smile as long as I can.

He continued as he felt her muscles became relaxed.

"Well, all things considered, it seems that the matter is resolved quite well. There is nothing to worry about." He said warmly.

Now recovered thanks to enough hugging and embracing, she finally let go of him. He saw her eyes looking at him teasingly.

"Do you have any idea how close it was? You became too reckless after receiving that big stab in the stomach." Already turned back to her usual self, she said sarcastically, like nothing happened a moment ago.

"I am sure dying once does change people."

"Are you lecturing me about death experience now, boya? Not in a million years."

While he was smirking at his accomplice's shameless change of attitude, she suddenly added, "Oh, and there is one more thing you should know."

It took a while for Lelouch to find Rolo even with C.C.'s directions. Former assassin and agent of the Directorate was sitting in the stairs with his body crouched. Sensing Lelouch's presence from behind, Rolo said while looking at the empty theme park which was still under construction. "I have never been to a theme park before." Without looking back, he continued. "I hoped to come here with you after it is finished."

"We can still come here later, nothing stops us from that."

Rolo swallowed hard, concerning to decide whether ask the question bugging his mind.

Why did you keep me live? Why did you keep me around?

He wanted to know, at the same time, he feared to face the truth.

Finally, he opened his mouth.

"…We are brothers, right?" Looking at the ground, Rolo asked, with a token of uncertainty in his voice.

"Of course we are. What kind of question is that?" Lelouch said after kneeling down to look him in the eye with a kind smile.

Rolo knew Lelouch was good at lying. There was no way for him to tell that whether or not Lelouch's response was genuine.

But does it matter, in the end?

Even if this whole thing were façade, it would be better than any truth.

"Let's go home."

"I will. But not now. I need to deal with the other agents who know my identity. I know you must have covered my identity from them, but there is something that only I…can do." Bracing himself, he continued before Lelouch dissuades him. He knew if his brother stopped him here, he couldn't refuse. "I really want to return, but this is something I must do as soon as possible, and alone." As long as he could continue his life with his new family, nothing else didn't matter much to Rolo. In order to do that, tying up possible loose ends from the Directorate was mandatory. And he already risked his brother's life today. He will do this alone.

Lelouch stared at his sworn brother with his violet eyes. After a moment, he made an understanding smile.

"Alright, but please be safe, and don't overuse your Geass, it's bad for your health. And remember there is a family who is waiting for you."

"I know." Rolo smiled back.

Lelouch and C.C. returned to the viceroy's palace together. They entered his office with their arms linked. Kallen was nervously waiting for him. She turned to him as they entered. "Lelouch, where have you been? I-"

C.C. deliberately held on to him tighter. Kallen looked at them with her mouth agape.

Lelouch motioned to C.C.. It was time to bring back Kallen's memories too before she gets the wrong idea.

"What are you…doing…" Kallen grimaced as the green-haired girl grabbed her wrist and her memories locked up by Lelouch's command flew back in.

Using C.C.'s code as a conduit, Kallen's memories erased by Geass were downloaded from the C's world. Fortunately, something like this didn't require the thought elevator and they could do it multiple times, though it only works on the command regarding memories.

She grimaced as her brain became overloaded for a moment. It was not the first time for her to retrieve memories, but it was still difficult to get used to nonetheless. While collecting her senses, she heard Lelouch was muttering something like, "You said kissing is the only way…"

It worked as intended, but Lelouch asked worriedly since she was still frowning. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I am fine. It's just…" Kallen glanced at C.C.. 'Her.'

Monopolizing him had been beyond exhilarating, but it was time for her to let it go. '*Sigh*…Good days are over, I guess.'

C.C. met her eyes with Kallen. Without breaking the eye contact, the code bearer nodded.

They told Kallen everything that had happened.

"So this Mao guy is dead, and Rolo regained his memories as an agent of the Directorate. Where is he now?"

"He said he had to take care of his past. He cut ties with me and went underground, but he knows where to find me when he needs."

While he was worrying how to explain Rolo's disappearance to Nunnally, Kallen asked again.

"Is it possible to disobey Geass?"

"It is extremely rare, but yes, it is possible." Lelouch replied. He knew one of such cases. His sister had broken the Emperor's Geass by her will only.

And he used his own on her, again.

Grimly, he dropped his eyes. Using Geass on Nunnally was emotionally painful and depressing for him, but it had to be done for her own safety. If Mao had learned that she knew about C.C., it was certain that the knowledge would put her into danger.

In the other timeline, she had been taken hostage by Mao. There was no way Lelouch would ever allow anything like that happens again.

"Your highness! It's an emergency! Armed terrorists took over a hotel at Lake Kawaguchi and holding its occupants hostage!"

His line of thought stopped.

What

Did

He

Just-

"NUNNALLY-!"

Author's Note: Happy birthday, Lelouch! (I think it's still December 5th where you were born.) I am sorry for the bad news, but I just had to add at least one event that you cry out Nunnally's name, and couldn't find any better place in the whole plot.

Anyway, I think the story is distracted enough with all these love affairs. Enough! There will be no more romances in the future. We have to focus on the plot. Lelouch vs Suzaku and so on.

Well, maybe a few fluffs here and there, but not as much as they used to be. This is Adventure/Drama fic, after all!

Speaking of Lelouch vs. Suzaku, my first idea of Code Geass time travel fic was somewhat opposite. In there, C.C., Kallen, and Suzaku go back in time, not Lelouch. (Since he was obviously dead.) Then they somehow mess things up, and changed events led Charles to use his Geass on Lelouch to manipulate him. (Like Julius Kingsley, but with the identity of Lelouch vi Britannia.) The three time travelers and a rag-tag group of resistance had to fight against Britannia to get their friend back while Lelouch, now viceroy of Area 11 and an adherent of the Ragnarok, ruthlessly hunts down C.C. and others. (Lelouchly ruthless, if you know what I mean.

Then I thought that he would be better as a protagonist.

So, instead of that, I wrote this fic filled with lousy romances and wanky humor.

Huh.