A/N:I'm glad to update this story today! I've been on writer's block for the past few days, so any day I have ideas in my mind is bliss to me! Now, for the daily quote:

"He told you you're worthless? Well, that's not true. Lelouch, you mean more to me than life itself."-Kudo Shinichi to his friend Lelouch in 2010, after Britannia invaded Japan, before their untimely parting.

Chapter 25 The growing divide

Suzaku Kururugi pounded his fists hard on the table he was sitting at. "Dammit, Villetta, how is it that we have been spending a year searching for Kudo Shinichi, and he's evaded our every step?" He growled through clenched teeth, quite aggravated by how this was turning out. How could one dumb detective be so clever?

The golden-eyed woman looked at him for a moment. "Don't you think we should just give up, Kururugi? Lelouch shows no signs so far of remembering anything, and Kudo has not been seen in public for a year."

"Damn it, I know Kudo is still helping Lelouch, and to top that all off, he's the only one who hasn't gotten his memories erased! The Emperor really wants me to bring him in, but that damned sneaky bastard keeps on avoiding us at every turn!" Suzaku cried.

Villetta sighed. "I think he's dead. There's been no sign of him for a year. If he had been in hiding, we would've found him by now," She muttered, "Keep monitoring Lelouch and see if he shows up."

"Yes!" Suzaku said as he wandered out, leaving a thoughtful Villetta to her thoughts.

"A detective is good at hiding himself. Will he ever come out if we were to tempt him with something?" She said, tapping her pen in thought.

Shinichi sighed as he was with Lelouch. "So, are we going to do anything fun today, Lelouch?"

Lelouch sighed. "Only you would call a terrorist mission fun, Kudo."

"True enough," Shinichi said with another melodramatic sigh. "Oi, oi, Lelouch, no fun at all? Have you really lost your sense of fun?"

"Kudo, let's not forget to maintain a pretense. We have to pretend to not know each other," Lelouch sighed, but upon seeing his best friend's sad face, he spoke again.

"Look, Shinichi, I'm not leaving you or going anywhere. Stop acting like a jealous girlfriend, otherwise your friend Ran will be extremely jealous."

Shinichi flushed. "Oi, oi, I'm just your best friend. Nothing more," He mumbled.

Lelouch mussed up Shinichi's hair. "I know. At least I know you will never lie to me. Oh, and Shinichi, what of your parents?"

Shinichi shrugged morosely. "I doubt if they got out of there alive. Wasn't your bombing them a surprise attack?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes. Another mistake Zero has to remember."

"Don't worry about it, Lelouch," Shinichi said, "We'll get through this together."

Lelouch smiled a rare smile, and nodded. "Yes," He said and smiled.

The two of them felt quite happy together right now.

"So will Rolo really not tell anyone about me?" Shinichi asked Lelouch, who nodded.

"I'm sure of it," Lelouch replied, "Though I'm convinced you need to stop taking so many risks and stop showing off so much at my school."

Shinichi feigned hurt at that point and Lelouch sighed. "Fine, you can do what you want, but I don't want you getting hurt at all, okay, Shinichi?"

Shinichi smirked as he and Lelouch walked in the park. The two of them sat down at a bench and watched the people frolicking about.

Suddenly, a familiar redhead appeared, smiling at them both. "Lelouch, Kudo, good to see both of you are still alive."

Shinichi smirked. "You thought we would die? Don't be stupid. We're not going to die any time soon."

"...I was convinced that we wouldn't make it, you know," Lelouch whispered.

"Don't be a baka, Lelouch. You and I know that we'll make it through this alive."

"Don't be so optimistic, Shinichi. Look what that did to Euphie," Lelouch whispered.

"You two sure are depressing today," Kallen said in annoyance, "So, are you sure you're not being watched at all right now, Lelouch?"

Shinichi smirked, "Don't worry, Lelouch and I have figured out ways around the security. We're going to be just fine."

"Are you sure Suzaku won't find out that you're still alive?" Kallen pointed out.

Lelouch smirked. "To be honest, he hasn't exactly been hiding himself well. He sticks out too much."

"Lelouch, don't act like that!" Shinichi cried, at which point, Lelouch just chuckled darkly.

"I was joking," He said.

Kallen gaped. "I've never known you to joke before," She said, in complete disbelief.

"Come now, do you think Kuro-tan always acts like an emotionless rock?" Shinichi asked.

Kallen nodded.

"Then you don't really know him that well, do you?" Shinichi said with a sly smirk.

Kallen felt her cheeks heat up. 'You know, it's at times like this that I really can't figure out who I'm in love with, Lelouch, or Zero. Kudou is cute, but he's not my tastes.'

"Why are you staring at me like that? You sure you're not in love with me or something?" Shinichi asked.

Kallen flushed again. "No, you dumb detective! I'm just feeling a bit sick, that's all!"

"...You look perfectly fine to me," Lelouch remarked dryly.

The two of them smiled and then laughed, enjoying humiliating poor Kallen.

"Don't you make fun of me!" She screamed, but her smile indicated that she was actually enjoying the attention.

"You're smiling, you know," Shinichi pointed out.

"SHUT UP!" She cried, startling poor Shinichi.

"Relax, Kudo, she's only kidding," Lelouch said.

"You sure?" Shinichi said.

Lelouch just smiled. 'Peaceful moments like these are rare. I truly enjoy them,' He thought, 'Because, soon, Japan will become a battlefield stained with blood.'

"Lelouch, are you all right?" Shinichi asked him, staring at him with worried blue eyes.

'Why are you so pure? I don't deserve your light in my life,' Lelouch thought to himself and allowed his purple eyes to stare back at him. "...We should go home soon, Kudo. You know they watch everything I do. There are no missions today."

Shinichi sighed. "I know. I really know how you feel. Both of us have to be apart again," He whispered.

When Shinichi entered his hideout again, Ran was there waiting for him. She had almost fallen asleep, though, but her eyes opened when she saw him and she leapt into his arms.

"Ran, I was only gone for a little while," Shinichi whispered, reassuring the girl he cared about so much it hurt.

"Shinichi, you know when you disappeared for that long a time, I honestly thought I'd lost you for good. You baka, please don't leave me ever again." She sobbed.

"I won't, Ran, I won't." Shinichi whispered soothingly. 'Ran, it's my duty to worry about you. You've given up enough for me already.'

Ran sobbed into his shirt for a while until she wiped her tears away and blushed scarlet. "I'm sorry, I must be embarrassing you right now."

"No, I'm fine. It's okay...Lelouch and I are getting along better." He said.

"Always him, Shinichi. Why is he so important? He's done so many hurtful things to you..." She whispered.

Shinichi's face took on a hard look. "...He promised he won't do anything like that again. I believe in him no matter what. The whole world wants to forget he matters. But I won't."

"Shinichi, I hate when you do this." She muttered, and then she fell asleep in his arms.

'Lelouch...please, don't do anything too stupid. I'll always be there to back you up.'

That night, he dreamt of the day Lelouch had almost completely forgotten, but he, Shinichi, had not.

"Lelouch...Nunnally's been kidnapped?"

Lelouch sounded almost desperate. "Yes...help me...please."

He had never heard the young boy sound so helpless and weak before. It scared him. "Don't worry, we'll capture him."

"Shinichi, why bother helping someone like me out?" Lelouch muttered.

"...Even if your father told you you were worthless and nothing, that doesn't mean I find you worthless."