Chapter Twenty-Eight

October 29, 2018

Suzaku leaned his forehead against the mirror over the sink, panting for breath. Everything had gone according to plan, he had to smile at that. Everything had gone the way he had planned it and it was worth the death of one man to pull it off. He swallowed and pulled back from the mirror, glancing the door into the locker room. Anyone could come in at any time, so he had to hurry. He swallowed and turned his attention to his bloodied hands.

He had managed to wipe most of the blood off on Lelouch's robes, but he wanted all of it gone. It was a reminder of what he had done, something that would probably haunt him for the rest of his life. Suzaku took a deep breath before scrubbing his hands under the running water, working the blood out of the lines on his palms and from around his nails. He paused a moment to check for blood under his nails before turning off the water and toweling off his hands. He should have kept his gloves on for when he had moved the body, but he had wanted to plant the knife and the bloody gloves as sure evidence.

Suzaku peered out from the locker room, making sure that the hangar was clear before dashing to the room where the time machine was kept. He would be in here for the rest of the day, until Lloyd and Cecile came to load the time machine into the trailer. That gave him plenty of time to take care of everything that he needed to do.

The door slid open, Suzaku barely listening to it shut behind him as he jogged around the time machine, smiling as he saw the figure on the other side of the car. He sighed with relief, crouching down beside Lelouch and brushing his fingers through Lelouch's bangs. He allowed himself a moment just to look at Lelouch before checking his pulse. Suzaku had guessed at Lelouch's weight and how fast it would act when he had drugged Lelouch on the platform. But the dosage had worked, Lelouch's heartbeat was normal and there were no side effects that Suzaku could see. He would have to stick close to make sure that Lelouch didn't wake up too soon, but he was ready for that.

He glanced up into the time machine. The little cardboard box with the drug and the syringe was sitting by his schoolbag on the floor, resting right next to his clothes. He would probably have to use it again before they traveled, just to make sure that Lelouch remained under long enough for him to save Lloyd and Cecile and to get them all home. He could explain there.

Suzaku returned his gaze to Lelouch, carefully pulling back the portion of the tarp that he was using to cover Lelouch. Currently, Lelouch was wrapped in a blanket, one that he had grabbed at the warehouse that the assassins had used as their base. When he had returned to the A.S.E.E.C hangar, he had been too afraid to dress Lelouch, not with everyone in a panic nearby.

He sighed and allowed himself to sit on the floor, resting his hand over Lelouch's heart. Rescuing Lelouch had probably been the stupidest thing he had ever decided to do in his life. He had only come up with part of a plan when he had joined the guard that surrounded the base of Lelouch's vehicle and had already run into a problem. If he wanted the people to be sure that Lelouch was dead, he would have to produce a body. That had almost sent him into a panic but, thankfully, the signal for the other assassins had come before that.

Suzaku had almost failed when the real assassin had climbed up to the platform at the same time that he had, but the other man had backed down, leaving Suzaku to run up the platform and grab Lelouch. It had been a struggle, first to get the packet of blood into Lelouch's robes so it looked like Lelouch had actually be stabbed. Then it had been juggling the knife and the needle so that the crowd would see one and not the other, but he had managed it. The crowd hadn't guessed that he was a fake, and Lelouch hadn't know it either.

Still it had been close. He'd had to watch as Lelouch realized that he was alone without protection and how scared Lelouch had gotten. It had taken everything that he had to try not to comfort Lelouch. Instead he had made sure that Lelouch was out of it enough to slide back down the slope and rush for the escape route that the other assassins had prepared.

Thankfully, only one of the assassins had followed him back to the warehouse, the man laughing and pulling off his helmet before Suzaku could remove his. Suzaku had only a moment to notice the man's black hair before the man was suggesting they throw Lelouch to the crowds and let them do what they wanted with the body.

Suzaku had lost his temper then and shot the man through the heart with his gun. Even now he felt a little bit guilty about his action, but he was still getting over the anger from the initial action. That man had just casually suggested that they throw Lelouch out into a crowd of people who hated him to be desecrated. The shot had been in defense of his emperor, and that's what he had to keep telling himself.

He looked down at Lelouch, gently lifting a hand from the tarp to kiss the back of it, holding onto it to keep himself centered. Lelouch was here and alive, he had defended him and had gotten exactly what he had needed.

It had been simple to make the switch. He just had to close the dead assassin's eyes and put the assassin in Lelouch's robes. Lelouch had been wrapped up in a blanket and carefully placed in the shadows of the warehouse. Suzaku had then run the dead assassin outside, placing him close to the rioting crowds before returning to Lelouch. It had been a desperate ploy to present a body, but the crowds had seemed to accept it if the cheering and screaming that Suzaku had heard on his way back was anything to go by.

The gloves and the knife had been left at the warehouse and Suzaku had made his way back to the hangar with Lelouch.

Suzaku sighed, leaning his head back to rest against the car. He couldn't sit here much longer, he needed to get Lelouch out of that blanket and into real clothes for the journey home. Suzaku shifted so he was kneeling on the ground, reaching into the car to pull out the black slacks and white button down shirt of his Ashford Academy uniform. It was the closest thing he had to casual clothes besides the clothes that he wore.

He crouched beside Lelouch, pulling the emperor up so he could pull the pants on. It was a struggle to get them over Lelouch's hips, especially with Lelouch slipping out of his grip. Suzaku grunted, shifting his hold on Lelouch to one hand while the other tugged the pants into place. With a sigh of relief, Suzaku set Lelouch gently down on the blanket, buttoning up the pants before turning his attention to Lelouch's torso.

There was still some blood from the packet that he had stuffed down Lelouch's robes. Suzaku frowned and walked out of the room. He needed to get the blood off before he put anything else on Lelouch. He wanted to make Lelouch as comfortable as he could for the long journey back.

He ducked into the locker room again, soaking a towel in water before returning to Lelouch. He carefully dabbed the blood away, wincing when he revealed a tiny scratch on Lelouch's chest. He hadn't meant to hurt Lelouch, he just wanted to make sure that the knife had gone all the way through so that the blood leaked out. Suzaku leaned over, checking the scratch before cleaning it too. Only then did he carefully pull the white shirt only Lelouch, doing up the buttons before laying him back down on the makeshift bed.

Suzaku checked Lelouch's pulse again before standing, gripping the bloodstained towel in one hand. He had to get rid of this, but he didn't want to take it to the future with him, it was completely useless. He could always throw it in the laundry basket in the locker room, there was at least one bloody towel in there a week because someone had gotten cut. But would the people who did the laundry for the A.S.E.E.C actually pay attention to their bloody towels this week because of what happened to the emperor? He mentally debated the question before decided to risk it. If they did question why the towel was in there or test the blood, it would just prove that someone had gotten Lelouch's blood on the towel and nothing more.

He had checked the hangar carefully on his way out, making sure that no one was there to see him, but he neglected to check on his way back to the room. No one was here, they were all probably trying to stop the riots or huddled in the administration building, afraid that the rioters would turn on them next. The hangar was the farthest building on the lot, aside from the hospital, so he was safe.

Suzaku was standing at the door, ready to punch in the code, when he heard a soft whir. He spun around, his hand dropping to his waist for his weapon, only to come up empty. He spared a glance down at his hand before looking up, surprised to see Nunnally making her way across the hangar floor, escorted by a nervous looking soldier. Suzaku relaxed and took a step away from the door. "Nunnally."

"Sir Kururugi." The cold tone made him stop, Suzaku really looking at Nunnally.

Her eyes were red, like she'd been crying. He muttered a curse under his breath. Of course she would be crying, she had just gotten the news that her brother was dead. The rest of the news was sure to come.

He cleared his throat, not having to fake concern for her. "What's wrong, Nunnally?"

"Why aren't you with Lelouch?"

It took him a moment, Suzaku glancing over at the Lancelot. "I had some things to do here, Lloyd insisted." He shrugged. "Then I was going to join Lelouch at the executions in the Lancelot."

"Why aren't you in your flight suit?"

"You just caught me at the end. I was going to change…" He trailed off, hating every moment of his lie to Nunnally. But he couldn't tell her the truth. He needed her to believe that her brother was dead. If he could make Nunnally believe it, then convincing the rest of the world would be easy. Suzaku cleared his throat. "But something's wrong. What is it?"

Nunnally shook her head, looking down at her lap. "My bother is dead."

"What?" He took a step back, bracing himself against the door and staring at Nunnally. He hoped that his expression looked genuine, he was no good at lying. "He couldn't be. They took half of the compound."

"Would I lie?"

"No. Of course not, Nunnally. It's just…How?"

"Assassins." The anger in her voice was enough to make Suzaku wince. He knew how the both of them feared assassins more than anything. Suzaku looked down at the floor as Nunnally kept talking. "One got up on the platform and murdered Lelouch in front of thousands of people and the guards weren't able to stop him. But, you know what? You could have."

He looked up abruptly at that, staring at her as Nunnally rolled her wheelchair forward, leaving the guard standing behind her. "If you had been there, you would have been on that platform with him and that assassin wouldn't have stood a chance. Instead you were here."

"Nunnally…"

"Silence." He automatically snapped to attention, watching as Nunnally shivered, the girl drawing herself upright. "You will address me properly."

And with that he finally understood how much he had lost with his gamble. He would have lost this much if he had let Lelouch die, but this was worse. It was worse because he knew that he was lying to her.

Suzaku swallowed and nodded. "Yes, your highness."

"Now, tell me something that isn't an excuse. Tell me why you weren't there to protect my brother?"

Suzaku stared at her before dropping his gaze again. He couldn't tell her anything, not if it involved lying to her. It had been hard enough once.

He heard her choke back a sob, not looking up from the ground. "But you promised, you promised that you would keep him safe. You promised me that!"

"I did, my lady."

"You let my brother die! You failed him!" Suzaku winced as Nunnally shouted at him, taking another step back until he was pressed against the door. "Why weren't you there today?"

"There is no reason that you would accept and no way that I could make up for my mistake, your majesty."

"There's no… I hate you!" Suzaku jumped, getting a glimpse of Nunnally's face. She looked just as shocked at the words that had come out of her mouth as he was. But she didn't allow that to stop her, Nunnally swallowed, managing to lower her voice. "I hate you and I never want to see you again."

"Understood, your highness."

"I…I banish you from Britannia and Japan." Suzaku felt his mouth drop open, but he didn't say anything. He just nodded slowly, shutting his eyes as Nunnally continued. "And from all of the Areas that are a part of the Britannian empire. Our enemies can deal with you as they see fit."

"Yes, your highness."

"You have until dawn tomorrow to leave, or I will have you killed." Nunnally's voice wavered on the last word, but she pushed on. "You are dismissed."

"Yes, your highness." Suzaku bowed to her, the first proper bow he had given to her in a long time. Only when she had retreated did he stand back up and turn towards the door. He paused with his hand on the metal. "You could execute me, your highness. It is a fitting punishment for what I've done."

"No. I've seen enough death, enough killing. I just want it to stop."

"Of course." Suzaku sighed, resting his forehead against the door. "The hospital probably still has my blood, and they'll give it to you if you ask, and my sword in still in Le-the emperor's rooms."

"What is your point?"

"You could fake my death."

"And what purpose would that serve?"

"I understand that you want to punish me for my actions and I believe you are in the right. I should wander the earth for the rest of my days knowing that I had betrayed my emperor. But if people believe that I am still alive, they will come after me and kill me."

"And?"

"No one looks for the dead." He heard her suck in a breath at that, knowing that he was almost quoting Lelouch. "And the dead can't ask help from the living."

"I…I will think on it. Goodbye, Suzaku Kururugi."

He closed his eyes, waiting until he could no longer hear the whir of her wheelchair or the sound of the guard's feet on the floor. He listened for the slam of the door that led outside, letting out the breath that he had been holding and pushing away from the door. He looked back towards where she had last been. "I'm sorry, Nunnally."


Gino hopped out of the car with a few other soldiers, turning to wave at the driver before setting off for the administration building at a jog. He would check on Nunnally first, although Jeremiah insisted that she was in the safe room in the building. But, in this panic, Gino wasn't sure that she would have stayed there. Nunnally would have tried to help the staff in the building and would have made sure that they were safe before returning herself. He had heard Jeremiah speaking over the phone to her, so she had been safe then.

Those were the few things that Gino was sure of at the moment, Nunnally had been safe and protected about thirty minutes ago and that she knew that her brother was dead.

He resisted the urge to curse, shaking his head. It wouldn't help him now, when he needed his breath for running. Nothing could change the fact that the emperor had been assassinated right in front of their eyes.

He had been waiting at the execution place, sent there to help bring the prisoners to the block and to keep an eye on Cornelia and Schneizel. The news of their leader's death had come to him by the chanting mob that had rushed forward, the soldiers that Gino was in charge of trying to hold them back. They had managed to keep the crowd on the parade route, although the reports had trickled in later that there was rioting all over the city. Gino still didn't know how the group of soldiers he had been assigned to faired, because Jeremiah had sent a car for him with the orders to return to the administrative building. Their next target would be Nunnally and the prisoners would be looking for a chance at revenge as well. So he had been sent to back up Anya, who was already back at the building, while Jeremiah went after the assassins.

Gino dodged around a group of pilots, watching them race to their Knightmares and mount up. None of the Knightmares were flight enabled, which was a good idea. Seeing the Britannian Knightmares flying overhead would send the people into more of a panic and that was the last thing that they wanted. If the assassins and escaped prisoners were to be caught, the people had to be calmed and cleared from the streets.

He turned, grabbing hold of a corner of a building to steady himself before sprinting for the entrance of the administration building. Gino grunted as he ran into the door, stumbling into the building and rubbing his shoulder.

The safe room was on the third floor, tucked away down a corridor that led to the servant's staircase. Although cleverly hidden, it was simply a place for the royalty to stay during the invasion of the first few floors of the building and a place close enough to the servant's entrance to escape into the underground tunnels that ran into the settlement. It was a temporary solution, one that they'd used too much for Gino's taste since their stay in Area 11.

He slowed to a walk a few feet from the corridor, pausing once to lean on the wall and to pant for breath. He had gotten used to a more sedate life guarding Nunnally, and it was an unfamiliar thought that he could be getting out of shape. Usually he was running around endlessly and piloting his Knightmare. This just meant that he would have to become a bit more active again, Gino managing a wry smile as he pushed away from the wall. And what a way to get more active, running around in a frantic search for the remainder of the royal family.

Gino slipped into the small corridor, locating the key pad that would open the door to the safe room and starting to enter the code. He was just about to press the final button when the sound of running feet caught his attention. Gino turned, surprised to see Anya barreling down to the corridor towards him.

She ran into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and nearly toppling the two of them. Gino caught himself on the wall, his torso twisted oddly to keep them in balance. He glanced down at her before levering himself upright again, carefully prying Anya from him. He was about to fire off his usual joking greeting when he got a good look at her face.

Gone was the usual blank expression. It had been replaced with wide eyed fear. Gino frowned and got a better grip on Anya's shoulders, watching helplessly as she shuddered violently. "Anya? What happened?"

"Dead. Like Lady Marianne. Don't need the journal, this one will stick." She clutched at her head. "Why won't I forget this?"

"Anya, calm down!"

"Dead."

Gino gave her a little shake, not sure if it would even work. He didn't know how to handle a panicked Anya, he had only known her when she had been detached. Even when she was having one of her bad days she would just go quiet, look around in confusion and refer back to her diary for everything that she was asked. He had once found her staring at individual pictures of the Knights of the Round, frowning like she was trying to place all of them.

That he could deal with, not this Anya.

He sighed and hugged her, not knowing what else to do. "Calm down, Anya. Talk slowly."

"No! Dead!"

"Who?" Gino tensed. Anya had remained behind to guard the administrative building, in charge of the security around Nunnally while her brother was out. He had briefly seen them moving to Mordred to a place where Anya could easily get to so she could use her Knightmare if things went wrong. With the way she was right now, she was in no condition to use the Knightmare. But she would have run to the Knightmare if the administrative building was in trouble, running to Gino wouldn't have done anything to help, which meant it was something that she wasn't prepared for.

A death that she wasn't prepared for. "Lady Nunnally!"

Anya whimpered and pulled away from him, grabbing his hand and tugging him down the hall. Gino didn't need any more encouragement. He stumbled after Anya, quickly catching himself and settling into a jog by her side. Anya let go of his hand quickly after that, sprinting ahead toward the elevators, Gino having to run flat out to reach the doors before they closed.

Gino leaned back against the wall, impatiently drumming his fingers on his arm on the way up. He wouldn't be getting anymore out of Anya, not when she would only repeat the word death and shiver. Even now she had wedged herself as far back into a corner of the elevator as she could. Gino sighed and turned his attention to the numbers above the door. He would check this out before returning to the safe room to check on Nunnally, if Nunnally was still alive.

He dug his nails into his skin. Nunnally had to be alive, not only for the sake of the empire, but for the sake of the people. The empire would fall apart completely with her gone and Schneizel and Cornelia on the run. The people would react badly as well, Nunnally was beloved by them for her sweet personality and they pitied her for being held prisoner for her brother. Never mind that some of their reasoning was wrong, it didn't change the fact that the public would riot again if there was news of her death. And, this time, the rioting might cause the death of more people.

He jumped as the bell rang softly, pushing away from the wall and walking out of the elevator. Anya darted past him, already racing down the hall. Gino swallowed and followed, his heart pounding faster when he saw the large crowd of servants. They wouldn't risk coming out of hiding for just anything. He cursed and ran faster, losing sight of Anya in the crowd.

"Lady Nunnally!" Gino shouted her name as soon as he was close, the servants turning to stare at him in shock. He pushed past the first few, surprised when they all stepped to one side. Gino tried to rush forward, only to be forced to the side by two people carrying a stretcher with a covered figure on it.

He turned to go after the stretcher, to pull back the sheet and see who it was when he spotted Nunnally out of the corner of his eye. Gino turned quickly, shoving his way through the rest of the crowd. "Nunnally!"

"Gino?" She looked up at him, reaching out with one hand.

He took it, crouching down so he could speak to her face to face. "Nunnally why aren't you in the safe room?"

"I heard that Lelouch was killed." Nunnally reached up to wipe the tears from her face. "I heard that he had died and I…I just couldn't sit there."

"It's the safest place for you."

"I was told that Suzaku wasn't there."

"He wasn't. It was just bad luck that he wasn't."

"So I had to find out where he was." Nunnally continued on like she hadn't heard him, pausing every so often to wipe her face. "I had to know why he wasn't with my brother, so I came here. I…I was hoping that it was just a trick, something to lure out the assassins, but my brother wasn't here."

"Oh, Nunnally…"

"But Suzaku was."

Gino jerked back, almost falling over. He looked around Nunnally to see her brother's room, frowning when it was completely empty. "There's no one there."

"He was there and…Gino, it was horrible." Nunnally was sobbing now, Gino unable to make out what she was saying.

He stood up, patting the back of her hand before entering the room. He would look quickly and then get back to her. He had to get her back to the safe room, at least until the reports came in the riots had stopped or the rioters had moved away from where she was.

Gino started as Anya appeared at his side, the young woman clutching at his sleeve. She must have slipped past him while he had been talking to Nunnally. Gino sighed and rested a hand on her shoulder. He would leave Anya with Nunnally, although he would have to find someone else to protect the two of them. He should remain with them, but he didn't want to be stuck in that room if they needed a Knightmare to guard the administration building.

"Sword." He blinked, looking back down at Anya. She was pointing at something on the floor.

He walked over to it, stopping at the edge of the stain on the floor. Gino stared at the stain before reaching out for the sword, carefully grabbing the hilt and pulling it up. Liquid dripped off the tip of the blade, Gino tilting the sword slightly, not quite able to process what he was seeing. The blade of the sword was covered with blood and the floor was stained with it, but Nunnally was fine. Nunnally was safe outside still crying over her brother. Suzaku was the one that had been in here, and this was his sword.

Gino turned around, walking back into the hall, ignoring the gasps from the people still gathered around the door. He was completely focused on Nunnally, his grip tightening on the sword as he lifted it up, not caring that it was dripping blood onto the carpet. "What happened?"

At the sight of the sword, Nunnally froze, her mouth dropping open. Gino stared at her, giving the sword a shake. "Why is Suzaku's sword like this?"

"I…I found him in there."

He dropped the sword, walking back over to Nunnally's side. "Was he the one on the stretcher?"

Nunnally nodded slowly. "I came to see if this really was a plan that Lelouch made up and I found Suzaku in there. He must have heard that Lelouch was dead so he…he…" Nunnally shivered and looked up at Gino. "Why?"

"I don't know. I never thought that he would do something like this." Gino glanced down the hall. The Suzaku he had known had been happy, or at least relatively so. There hadn't been any hint that he wanted to kill himself or that he would. But Suzaku had always been close to Lelouch, even before Gino had known Suzaku the two of them had always been together. Where Lelouch went, Suzaku had followed.

And that's what had happened here. Gino shivered, staring at the sword on the carpet. Suzaku was a loyal knight, the emperor's personal knight, so he had followed his emperor. Gino shook his head, rubbing a hand over his face. "I just don't understand. I have to see him."

"No!" He stopped as Nunnally grabbed his wrist. "Don't go. Everyone that's left has died. Please."

Gino sighed and shook his head, turning around to face Nunnally. "Get Anya. We'll get you somewhere safe."

She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

He just nodded, walking around to push her wheelchair through the crowd as Nunnally coaxed Anya to her side. The three of them made their way back to the elevator in silence, Anya returning to her place in the corner as soon as they were inside. Gino gave her a worried look, sighing and shaking his head. "Why did you call Anya to you?"

"I didn't. She was the first to find me." Nunnally stared straight ahead at the doors. "I tried to hide the body, but she saw it. It didn't mean to hurt her again."

"I know."

"And now we'll-"

"Nunnally," Gino hesitated, watching as the numbers flickered above the door, "let's leave that for later. Let's just survive today."

"Of course." She sounded flustered.

He smiled down at her, wheeling her out of the elevator as it stopped and heading for the safe room. To his relief, Anya stuck close, the young woman clinging to a section of the wheelchair for dear life. He cleared his throat and looked at Anya. "I want you to stay with Nunnally."

"Alright."

She was back to one word answers, which was a strange relief. It meant that she was coming back to herself, but that was no guarantee that she was getting better. For all he knew, Anya wouldn't remember any of this tomorrow, which would make her retreat into her rooms to consult her diary. But none of this would be written in her diary, Gino could tell that much about her. He would probably have to sit down with her and explain all of this or have her record him talking about it. They would probably have the time to do it, the empire was going to be held in suspension until another emperor was chosen or Nunnally stepped up to fill the space that her brother had once held.

He opened the door to the safe room, Nunnally taking control of the wheelchair as soon as she was inside. She turned to face him, clearing her throat. "W-we'll bury him once things settle, he deserves that much."

"Of course, Nunnally."

"And I need to get in contact with Jeremiah again."

"You don't have to do this. You deserve the time to grieve."

"When the people are safe I can do that." She shook her head. "I need to make sure they're safe. Today I can cry all I want, but it won't change anything." Gino stared at her, Nunnally seeming to realize this. She coughed and sat back. "If you can, tell him to get a message to the prisoners, ask them to please leave us alone so we can bury our dead. Then, I will speak to them and I promise that they will be safe and that…that I won't be chasing after them."

"You can't do that!"

"Gino, my brother is dead." Nunnally's voice cracked over the last word. "I just want to go home."

He stared at her before bowing. "Yes, your highness."

"Thank you."

Gino walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Instead of immediately walking away, he stared at the wall in front of him.

Nunnally was right about settling the people, it was their first priority. As of now, Nunnally couldn't do anything, so she would be able to cry for her brother. He would have to wait until his duties were finished to even begin on sorting out what he felt. Right now, it was all a jumble of emotion, mostly confusion, and adrenalin.

He pushed away from the wall, walking down the hallway. None of that mattered at the moment. He was the only knight still able to protect the building and it was his duty to do so until he died as well. Although, he was sure that it wouldn't come to that. He was confident that he wouldn't even have to use a Knightmare.

Gino stepped outside, surprised when a guard immediately saluted him. "It's calmed down, sir."

"Good."

"Your orders?"

Gino glanced back at the building. "Search the barracks for assassins and start sending out a few men to start putting things right. Get in contact with Jeremiah, Lady Nunnally wants to speak to him."

The guard nodded and rushed off, Gino walking over to the gate to take his place with the other soldiers.


Nunnally reached out, gently pushing Anya's hair behind her ear, watching the young woman twitch in her sleep. The knight deserved some rest, especially after seeing what she had today. Nunnally winced and pulled her hand back. She hadn't meant to let Anya see the set up, she hadn't meant to have Anya near there at all. Witnessing Marianne's death had been enough for Anya to start having memory problems every time she got too upset or saw something surprising, Nunnally didn't know how seeing Suzaku dead would affect her; even if it had been fake.

She sighed and turned to look towards the door again. Suzaku had been right, it was better for them to believe him dead. And it was only a small, vindictive part of her that wanted him to suffer for it. Suzaku hadn't been the one to kill Lelouch, he just hadn't been there to prevent it from happening. And she hated him for it, for not being there to prevent it. She had trusted Suzaku above all others, and he had failed her on the one thing that was more important to her than anything else, her brother's life.

That he had given her a way to punish him didn't make her feel better. She had intended on banishing him, but he had filled in the rest of the plan for her, which sounded like he had intended on running away. And now she was doubting him because of it. Why else would he tell Lelouch that he would be leaving? It made it look like Suzaku had known about this assassination but had told no one, which was insane to think about in the first place.

She knew Suzaku. And she knew that he would have prevented anything from happening to Lelouch. Or that's what she had thought before. Now…now she didn't even know if she could trust the knight. But at least he was leaving, so she wouldn't have to worry about him ever again.

That was one of her problems solved. The next one was equally as bothersome. Why had she said that Suzaku had committed suicide instead of her original plan? She had rehearsed what he would say all the way back to the administration building and while her guard had searched the room for Suzaku's sword. No one would question why she gave the order for Suzaku to die, he had betrayed the emperor. His absence in the guard around Lelouch was enough evidence.

But, when faced with Gino and Anya, she had faltered. She was still angry with Suzaku, she was furious about his failure, and she hadn't lied when she told him that she hated him. Even with all of that, she was not able to give Suzaku the ending that he deserved, so she had told them that he had committed suicide. And, strangely enough, she was alright with that. She had given them their Suzaku, the kind and loyal knight that they knew instead of her own vengeful wrath, and it had been the right choice for the time. So many things were changing so quickly, her own anger would have just shocked people.

It scared her enough right now. Even when she felt like crying for Lelouch her anger towards Suzaku wouldn't go away. She had never been able to sustain anger over a long period of time, it came and went quickly, as she felt it should. Nunnally had watched her brother hold grudges all of his life and it never seemed to make him feel any better, so anger was better to just let go of and continue on, because she couldn't just live her life raging at something. But not the anger directed towards Suzaku, and maybe that was a good thing. Maybe she would keep it, because he deserved it. But she wouldn't let it rule her life.

Nunnally dropped her gaze to her lap, needed to distract herself with something. She didn't want to just keep crying, because she felt useless, and she never wanted to feel useless again. It reminded her too much of the time after their mother had been killed and Lelouch had renounced his right to the throne. Then, because they had been deemed useless then had been sent away, far away from everything that they had known. Only to be plunged into a war where they had lost another person that was close to them.

She covered her face with her hands, feeling tears slipping out again. The memories were worse now because she had lost Lelouch. Before, when anything bad had happened, she could always run to him. But now there was nothing, no one that she could turn to. She had lost everything.

She broke down again, not caring if she woke Anya with her sobs or if people outside could hear her. Nothing mattered right now, she had lost her brother and her best friend had betrayed them both.

Nunnally didn't hear the door open again, nor did she see the guard who had brought her to this room the first time enter. She didn't even feel him wrap his arms around her. She just sought the warmth of another person and cried on his shoulder again.

When she finally managed to stop, her eyes sore and her throat aching, she pulled away from him. He stayed crouched by her side, his hand very close to hers. But he wouldn't take it, she knew that. He was too aware of her status to take her hand, which was why she grabbed his, needing something warm and human to hold onto.

The soldier looked surprised at her boldness, but managed to hide it a moment later. "Feel better, your highness?"

"Not really."

"Ah." He sounded sad, Nunnally surprised by that. "It won't be getting better for a long time."

"No, it won't."

"Then you'll just have to be brave and keep moving forward." He gave her a small smile, Nunnally finding herself returning it.

"I will. Thank you."

"No thanks needed."

"Well then, thank you for playing dead." Nunnally reached up and gently strained his hair out from where they had messed it up. The soldier wasn't a good match for Suzaku aside from the fact that he had brown hair, not even the right shade, but Nunnally had hoped that no one would pay attention to the body under the sheet. To her relief no one had. "Is everything ready?"

The guard nodded. "The coffins will be brought tomorrow and I will seal one myself."

"Thank you." Nunnally bit her lip. "And I trust that you will keep quiet about this."

"Yes, your highness." The guard frowned. "I may not understand all of it, but I will follow your orders."

She nodded vaguely, suddenly struck by a stray thought. "I'm…I'm the empress of Britannia now, aren't I?"

"Until your older siblings show up, yes."

Nunnally suddenly felt dizzy. Lelouch hadn't been dead for a full day and she already was in charge of the country. Tomorrow she would have to continue on as if nothing had happened, speak to the people to assure them that everything was fine and that she had things under control. She could barely comprehend tomorrow at the moment, let alone speaking to other people. She would probably break down again tomorrow and cry for her brother. She would probably be doing that for weeks.

She rubbed her hands over her face, needing something to help focus her on the now instead of the future or the past. Both just made her want to cry, the former because of the loneliness that loomed and the latter because of everyone she had lost.

"Tomorrow, I'll-"

"If I may, your highness," the soldier ducked his head as he realized that he had interrupted her. "I think you should just try to take it one day at a time. The world would hardly judge you for mourning your brother."

"Yes, but considering what my brother was to the world…" She trailed off and shook her head. "I'll find the time, but I won't endanger the empire for it. Lelouch was working so hard to make all of this right."

"Even so, I don't think your brother would want you to make yourself unhappy by doing something that you don't agree with."

"Yes…He was always trying to make me happy, no matter what." Nunnally allowed herself a real smile, breaking off with a giggle. "Oh the things he used to do…"

The guard studied her for a moment before settling on the floor, shifting so he could see the door before crossing his legs. "I'll listen if you want to talk about him. It might help."

Nunnally looked down at him before offering the guard her hand. She just needed someone to hold her hand right now. It was something from the days when she had been blind, when a hand to hold had been her only assurance that there was someone there for her.

The guard hesitated before taking her hand, Nunnally letting him gently cradle it in his own. It wasn't a strong hold, but it was enough to reassure her. She felt herself relax, Nunnally closing her eyes and thinking back over her memories of Lelouch. "There was this one time, when we were kids…"


Cecile sat in the driver's seat of the trailer, drumming her fingers on the wheel. Getting out of the gates without being searched would be a miracle, especially with everyone on high alert. Suzaku should have left a few days before Lelouch's assassination to avoid all of this, although she understood why he had waited for so long. As much as the searches would delay them, she wouldn't begrudge Suzaku his last few days with his friends.

She sat up suddenly as Lloyd clambered into the seat beside her. "It's loaded."

She sighed, finally relaxing back into the seat. "Hidden?"

"I piled a bunch of junk back there as well." Lloyd flopped into his seat, buckling the belt across his lap. "We'll make a stop by the dump later."

"Lloyd!"

"Why bother lying to the guards? We have a perfectly good excuse." Lloyd grinned at her and jerked his head back to the door that would leave back into the trailer. "It won't be recognized with all of that junk back there as well. They can't even get to the car with the way it's packed. Now, move out."

Cecile rolled her eyes and started up the trailer, driving toward the gates. The closer they got, the nervous she became. She tapped her fingers against the wheel, her gaze moving from the road to the two men who were stepping out of the small booth by the gate. Cecile glanced at Lloyd, envious of the scientist's calm. He was just sitting back in his seat like nothing was wrong. In fact, she was sure that he was dozing off, a smart move since they wouldn't be back until early in the morning.

She stopped at the gate, opening the door and hopping out to confront the guards who had come to meet her. Cecile did her best to smile, feeling the expression falter as she saw that they were glaring at her. "Good evening."

"And where are you heading out to?"

"Uh…"

"To drop off our load of scrap metal." Cecile twisted to look up at Lloyd. The scientist was leaning out of the open window, adjusting his glasses. "We'll be picking up the burnt and totaled cars on the way. Orders came in earlier and we just happen to have the biggest trailer."

The guards looked at each other, Cecile watching as they clutched at their guns. She took a deep breath, sure that they were doing to shoot them. They were nervous because of what had happened today, first Lelouch's death and then Suzaku's faked suicide. It was enough to make the guards order them to stay inside.

To her surprise, they just nodded, one walking to the back of the trailer. "Can you lift this? Procedures and all."

"Right." Lloyd waved at the guard before opening the back of the trailer, just wide enough for the man to scramble in.

Cecile held her breath for a moment before clambering back up into the seat. At any minute, the guard could shift some of the scraps back there and discover the car, and where Suzaku was hiding among all of the scraps. She glanced back at the trailer, waiting for the shouting that would signal that the guard had discovered them.

Instead, the guard walked around to the window, waving them on. "All clear. And try to get as much of that wreckage as you can."

"Of course." Cecile tried not to laugh, knowing that it would sound suspicious. "I'll see if I can get some time off to help out."

"We'd appreciate that."

She saved to them as they opened the gate, her finger resting on the button that would close the trailer. When she heard the thump from the back, she drove off, turning the truck so they would appear to be heading down the parade route.

Only when the gate was out of sight did she turn to Lloyd. "Was that another thing that we're doing?"

"Not at the moment." Lloyd waved his hand dismissively, sinking into his seat. "The soldiers cleared most of the wrecks from the street earlier. And we need that space to get the time machine out."

Cecile rolled her eyes, glancing quickly at the door that led to the trailer. "Is Suzaku going to come out of there?"

"He said something about the dangers of being recognized." Lloyd shrugged and pushed his glasses so that they were resting on the top of his head. "I agree but we're probably safe traveling this late with tinted windows."

She sighed, looking at the door one last time before focusing her attention on the street, ignoring Lloyd as he flopped around on the seat in an attempt to find a comfortable spot to sleep.

The drive to Shinjuku was made in silence, Cecile concentrating on where she was going. She was tempted to turn on the radio a few times, just to have something besides the sound of Lloyd's breathing and the hum of the engine, but she was sure that nothing would be playing but a repeat of the day's events, and she had heard more than enough about them. If she heard about how the emperor had been stabbed by an assassin before being carried off and given to the people only to be torn into pieces and burnt in a fire, she was going to cry. She might not have known Lelouch personally, but he had been so young, only eighteen, the same age as Suzaku. In about a month, he would have been nineteen. And it was frightening that someone could die so young.

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened momentarily, Cecile forcing herself to relax a moment later. Even with nearly no one on the streets, she couldn't afford to let her guard down, not so close to their goal. They would need Suzaku to tell them where he wanted them to stop and let him off. If he wanted to go back close to where he had been before, he would need to guide them through the ghetto, although it would probably look different from his time.

She stopped the truck, parking it on the side of the street before getting up and knocking on the door of to the trailer. She heard Lloyd yelp behind her, the scientist rolling off of his seat, but her focus was on the teenager that peeked out of the door. "Are we there?"

"Yes, but we need you to tell us where we have to go."

"Right." Suzaku swallowed and slipped out of the trailer, staring ahead of them and gesturing. "In the middle of the ghetto in my time there's a memorial to all of those who had lost their lives fighting there."

"So head for the middle."

"No." Suzaku groaned, running a hand through his hair. "That's where I met Lloyd."

"And we don't want you to be seen." Lloyd pulled himself back up onto the seat. "Paradox."

Cecile nodded slowly. "So where do we go?"

"I'm trying to remember…" Suzaku had his eyes closed and he was leaning back against the door. "I don't know where the gang that was chasing you came from…but they surprised Lloyd and I. They came from behind." Suzaku's eyes flickered open, his hand still resting on his head. "Head towards the middle and then turn off one of the streets to the left."

"Are you sure?"

"Not really." Suzaku gave a nervous chuckle, leaning on the back of her seat. "But it's the best guess I can give you. At the worst, I'll be speeding past myself."

Cecile sighed and began driving further into the ghetto, turning when Suzaku recognized a building or a street. They moved at nearly a crawl, Lloyd quiet for once as they tried to find a spot that would not only give Suzaku the straightaway that the needed to get up to speed, but the right place so he wouldn't run into something that was there in the future.

"Stop. Right here. Stop." Suzaku nearly pressed himself against the windshield, looking around before taking a step back. "If I'm where I think I am, the memorial is about two streets over that way." He pointed to his right before pointing down the street that they were following. "Which means that I can use this street, as long as I go down to the end and floor it."

"Fantastic." Lloyd was nearly bouncing in his seat. "I finally get to see my time machine in action."

Suzaku gave him a wry smile. "I'll probably be the last time."

Cecile frowned as Suzaku slipped back into the trailer, probably to start shifting the junk that they had piled around the car. She looked back over at Lloyd, who shrugged, before turning her attention to the end of the street.

It was easy enough to pull down to the end of the street and then back up through the intersection, no one was out this late at night in the ghetto. And no one probably dared to look outside in case it was the Britannian army searching for the assassins. That was the only good thing about Suzaku leaving on the day of the assassination, no one would bother to ask them what they were doing.

Cecile parked the truck, opening the back as Lloyd ducked through the door that was in the cabin. She would wait here until they had gotten the time machine onto the ramp before lowering it. Only when that was finished would she leave the cabin.

She leaned back in her seat, finally able to relax. The hard part was finished, this next part was completely up to Suzaku, and she had confidence in him. Cecile smiled and slipped her hand into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the two letters there.

They had been lying on her spot by the computers when she had gotten to the hangar late in the evening, just before they had started to load up the car. She had taken them because they had her and Lloyd's names on them, and there was a chance that they would contain something that the others in the A.S.E.E.C shouldn't see. That or Jeremiah would demand to see them as a part of his investigation into the assassins. That investigation was one of the reasons that she had been so late, missing the loading of the car entirely. She had been stopped at the gates and forced to answer questions about where she had been and where she was going before she had been admitted into the compound.

She was planning to ask Suzaku about them as soon as he got the car out, just in case there was a certain time that he wanted them to open and read the letters. She was willing to wait if he told her to, although she was curious as to why Suzaku would even write her a letter when she was going to see him again.

"Cecile, lower the ramp."

Lloyd's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She fumbled for the button, listening carefully for the sound of the motor and the scrape on the pavement that would tell her when the ramp was lowered. Cecile released the button at the sound, leaning out of the window to wait for the car to appear.

She heard Suzaku and Lloyd speaking about something before the sound of the engine starting up. Cecile found herself smiling as the car pulled up alongside the truck, proud of the work that she had done on it. It was one of the few things that she was truly proud of, because it wasn't a machine made to kill people. She sighed and shook her head, ducking back into the cab to pull up the ramp and shut the trailer.

By the time she was finished securing the trailer, Suzaku had already lined up the car for the straightway and was out. Cecile tipped her head to the side when she saw that both Suzaku and Lloyd were leaning on the passenger side of the car, talking about something and gesturing into the car. Lloyd finally threw his hands into the air and retreated a few steps as Suzaku crouched down.

Cecile rounded the front of the car just in time to see Suzaku securing a seatbelt over Lelouch.

She stumbled backwards, catching herself on the open door and staring at the boy in the passenger seat. "You…is that his body?"

"No." Lloyd's voice was calm, which could only mean that he was furious. "That's the real living emperor right there."

"What?"

"Suzaku is the assassin they're all looking for. He disguised himself and drugged the emperor so he could take him back as well."

"Suzaku!"

The teenager winced, pressing himself back against the open space. "It won't change history. I promise."

"It won't? The emperor that was supposed to die today isn't dead."

"But that's the point." Suzaku looked at both of them, his eyes wide. "Everyone thinks he's dead and that's all that matters! Everything that was supposed to happen to him on the day of his death took place but he's still alive. He's safe."

Lloyd crossed his arms. "And that won't change history?"

"It won't." Suzaku shook his head. "The world needs to believe that he's dead to move on. The next person on the Britannian throne will change things for the better and there will be peace because no country wants to produce the next Demon Emperor."

He looked desperately at the two of them. "You've got to believe me. The world doesn't need him anymore, so it won't hurt anything. And I couldn't just let him die."

Cecile flinched, letting go of the door. Of all the things they had predicted that Suzaku would do, they had never guessed that he would go as far as to save Lelouch if something bad happened to him. They both thought that Suzaku would have stuck to the original events without altering any more of the time stream. "Suzaku, you just can't do this."

"Why not? Why can't I have them think he's dead? Why can't I give him the chance to live beyond eighteen?"

"Because he doesn't." Lloyd was shaking his head. "Messing with a big event like that is dangerous."

"But I didn't mess with it! I did everything that was supposed to happen." Suzaku took a deep breath. "I know that assassination like the back of my hand, everyone knows it. They show it every year on the twenty-ninth. I've seen it since first grade…I've watched him die once a year almost every year of my life."

Cecile closed her eyes. "Did you come back here to save him?"

"No." She opened her eyes at that, watching Suzaku shake his head. "No. I came back because of a stupid thought when I was panicking and I stayed to make sure that he died, because it was such an important event."

"But then you got mixed up in things."

Suzaku looked at her and nodded. "I didn't want to…I knew it was stupid and I tried to stop it, but I like him, Miss. Cecile. I really do like him. And I swear that it was a last minute decision this morning to save him."

He looked back over at Lloyd, the scientist still standing with his arms crossed. "Let me have this. Just this one person. I could have saved thousands of others, I could have saved my own parents, but I didn't. I even made sure that the world would think that he was dead and continue on, like it would have done anyway. There are worse choices that I could have made."

Lloyd stared at Suzaku, slowly uncrossing his arms. Cecile watched as Suzaku braced himself against the car, still protecting Lelouch. And he would probably continue doing so for the rest of his life. The emperor didn't know how lucky he was to have Suzaku on his side, a knight that would do anything for his lord. Cecile wouldn't put it past Suzaku to just drive off without ever resolving this argument, just to be sure Lelouch was safe.

Lloyd seemed to come to a decision, stepping forward and ruffling Suzaku's hair. "Will he stay under?"

"He started to wake up on the way over, but I dosed him again. Not much, but enough to keep him quiet until we're back in the future. He'll be groggy until it wears completely off, but we'll be back at home by then."

"Fine." Lloyd stepped up to Suzaku and swept him up in a hug, much to both Suzaku and Cecile's astonishment. The scientist quickly put Suzaku back on the ground, patting him on the head. "Take care of that time machine until you're back."

"Of course."

"That's my favorite devicer." Lloyd walked away, taking off his glasses to clean the lenses.

Cecile stared after him, shaking his head as she stepped up to stand by Suzaku. The teenager just shrugged and smiled. "I'm used to it."

"I don't think I ever will be."

"I don't think you ever are." Suzaku smiled before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you, Miss. Cecile."

"Y-you're welcome." She blushed, at a loss at what to do. "But I didn't really do anything."

"That's not true. You've done so much for me." He pulled away with a fond smile on his face, reaching out to pat the top of the car. "Like this. I wouldn't be here without you."

"Well…I guess that's true."

Her mouth dropped open as he leaned up to kiss her cheek, grinning as he leaned back against the car. "I'll see you in a few years."

She nodded, pressing a hand against her cheek and stumbling back as Suzaku checked that Lelouch was secure one more time. He slammed the door shut before walking over to the other side of the car, Cecile finally snapping out of her shock and rushing over to him. She pulled the letters out of her pocket with one hand, the other one grabbing onto Suzaku's shoulder. He turned to look at her, staring at the letters in surprise.

Cecile cleared her throat, sheepishly letting go of his shoulder. "I…I just wanted to know if there was a specific time that we should read these."

"No." Suzaku glanced quickly back at Lloyd. "You don't have to read them at all. I'd like you to though." He looked at the ground, kicking a small piece of concrete to once side. "I have to go now."

"Alright." Still clutching the letters in her hand, she backed away.

Suzaku smiled at the both of them, waving as he slid into the seat. "Thank you two for everything. And, Lloyd, you're going to enjoy this." He winked before shutting the door.

Cecile went to stand by Lloyd, watching as the car remained dark and still for a moment before Suzaku turned it on. She jumped at the sound of the engine starting up, staring at Suzaku's silhouette as he was lit up by the screens. He reached over, probably adjusting the time that he was traveling to before sitting back in his seat.

She jumped as the Blaze Luminous shield flickered to life, Lloyd laughing and slapping her shoulder. "It works, it all actually works."

Cecile shook her head, turning to look back at the car as Suzaku attached something to his ear before giving them a thumbs up.

She expected him to start off immediately, surprised when Suzaku rolled down the window a fraction. "Want to send me off?"

"Of course." She laughed, glancing down the straightaway. It seemed clear to her, although she couldn't see beyond the headlights of the car. "Lancelot, ready for launch."

"Launch." The window was rolled up as Suzaku sent the car forward.

Cecile took a step back, shoving the letters into her pocket as the car raced down the straightaway gaining speed. She smiled, leaning forward to watch it go. She nearly toppled over as Lloyd leaned on her as well, the scientist whistling as the car continued to gain speed.

Then they saw it, a blue spark jumping along the top of the car before falling to the ground. The time machine was too far away to see anything else, at least until the Blaze Luminous shield went up again, the entire car covered in the green shield.

There was a sudden flash of blue light and a loud snap, and then the car was gone.

Cecile stumbled out onto the intersection they had used, staring at the two lines of flame that had marked where the car had been, her mouth open in shock.

It had worked. Their time machine had really worked.

She turned around to stare at Lloyd, watching as the scientist jumped into the air with a shout of joy. "We did it!"

He bounced on the balls of his feet, babbling to himself about the different components of the machine.

Cecile watch him and shook her head, walking back to the cabin of the truck and getting in. Lloyd would be out there for a few more minutes, which was plenty of time to read the letter that Suzaku had left her. She settled down into her seat and flicked on the cabin lights, pulling out the letter and opening it.

'Miss. Cecile,

You never really believed that I was from the future, but that's alright. There were parts of that story that I almost didn't believe. But all that really matters is that you believe in me and helped me when it mattered and that meant the world to me.

Sorry that I couldn't tell you about the future or if I scared you sometimes because of something that I did, it's just hard meeting a past version of someone you are close to. Although, I think you might have the opposite problem from me, you're going to meet me in a strange order. Keep an eye out for the younger me, I haven't really changed that much at all since then.

You may not understand this now, Cecile, but you might later. Thank you for saving me. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you this myself, but it matters a lot to me that you did what you did.

Thank you.

Suzaku.'

Cecile dropped the letter onto her lap, staring at Suzaku's messy handwriting with her hands pressed to her mouth. He hadn't revealed anything about the future, but it was enough to give her hope. She would get to know Suzaku in her future as well. She would get to see his bright smile and hear him laugh and, suddenly, that meant the world to her.

It was silly and stupid, but she missed him already.

"With the way you're sighing, Cecile, many would think you have a crush." She jumped at the sound of Lloyd's voice, nearly dropping the letter. The scientist laughed and flopped into his seat, flicking the light off as he went. "We're going to be seeing him in the future, compose yourself."

She frowned and reached over to hit him, smirking when the blow landed. Lloyd whimpered and held his shoulder, glaring at her. "I will miss him for one thing, with Suzaku around you were less likely to hit me."

"Lloyd Asplund!" He flinched again, Cecile unable to stop herself from laughing. She shook her head and folded up her letter, shoving it into her pocket. She froze when she felt the edge of the other letter, pulling it out and waving it at him. "Here, it's yours."

Lloyd snatched up the letter and immediately shoved it into his pocket, sitting back and closing his eyes.

Cecile stared at him. "Aren't you going to read it?"

"I don't want to know my own future, Cecile. Boring."

"I know, but, Suzaku took the time to write that to you."

Lloyd turned his head toward her. "I'll read it in the future, when he's back. It can't spoil anything for me then."

Cecile shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention to the road, starting up the truck. "Suit yourself."

Lloyd mumbled something under his breath before curling up, wrapping his lab coat around him. "Remember, the dump."

"Of course. Like I would forget the reason I'm being kept from a good night's sleep."

"It's for the good of science, Cecile."

"Science." She rolled her eyes and began to drive out of the ghetto. "Right."

Lloyd remained silent for most of the ride to the dump, finally sitting up when they were getting close to their destination. "Cecile."

"Hm."

"We built a working time machine."

She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. Cecile turned to look at him, nodding slowly. "We did. Didn't we."


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