"Kozuki wants us to watch her closely. If we think he used his Geass on her, she wants us to shoot her. She said to use snipers."

Kallen walks the corridors of Ashford Academy with the 99th Emperor of Britannia, Lelouch. She remembers when they went to school here together, in simpler times, before everything went so horribly wrong. They stop near a staircase.

"Nostalgic, isn't it?" he says. Indeed it is. So many memories, both good and bad, but mostly good, are tied to this place. They are alone. This is her chance. She approaches him.

"I'm- I'm grateful for what you did," she says. "I know if it weren't for you, I would have ended my life back in the Shinjuku ghetto. The Black Knights would have never existed at all. I was glad, proud and honored to be needed by our masked leader, Zero. But… when I learned you were Zero, I didn't understand anymore. Even so, the man I saw fighting against Britannia… Now you've joined forces with Suzaku. What are you really trying to do? Do you want personal power? To be above everyone else? Or is it just a game to you? During the Black Rebellion, Ohgi told me to guard you with my life. He told me that… you could make my brother's dream come true."

Lelouch takes a step back.

"Kallen, I…"

"Lelouch, after everything we've been through, what do I mean to you? On the day you left the Ikaruga you told me 'Kallen, you have to live!'"

"I- I'm sorry."

Huh?

"What do you mean?"

"When I saw the Black Knights pointing their rifles at you, everything else ceased to matter. I had to do something. I had lost Euphemia, Shirley, Nunnally. I couldn't lose you as well."

"Are you saying…?"

"I knew you wouldn't abandon me willingly. If you followed me, you would've become a target yourself. I did what I had to do to prevent that from happening. I had to make sure you would live." He looked her deep in the eyes. "I love you, Kallen. But we can never be together."

Her heart soared for a moment, only to crash into the ground the very next beat.

"Why not?"

"Because there is no future with me. I'm sorry, Kallen, but I can't give you what you want. You have to forget about me. Find someone else to make you happy."

She slaps him.

"BAKA!" she yells. "I've just found out that the love of my life returns my feelings and you ask me to just forget about it!? Of course I won't! How can you even say something like that!?"

"Because, my dear Kallen, I only have a few months left to live, at most."

That gives her a pause. She frowns.

"Why?"

"It's the only way to bring true peace to this world."

True peace. Could such a thing even exist? Humans struggle against each other; it's in their nature. However, if there is one person who can bring about true peace, it's Lelouch. Kallen is sure of that. She believes in him. She believes in Zero.

"I have enemies beyond number," he continues, "and soon I'll have many more. They won't stop until I'm dead. The bloodshed will not end for as long as I live. That's why I have to die. It's either me or everyone else."

She wants to argue, but the finality in his voice stops her. She can tell that he won't be persuaded to change his mind. Not by her and not by anyone else. She decides to try something different.

"Take me with you."

"No."

"Why not? Whatever you're planning, I want to help. Surely I can be useful to you! You let Suzaku join you! What does he have that I don't!?"

"That's different. Suzaku agreed to sacrifice his future for the plan. I cannot ask you to do the same. Not you."

"I don't care about any of that! As long as I am with you, I don't need anything else! Now that I know what's in your heart, I won't abandon you, not again!" She pauses for a moment, thinking. "And if you have a problem with it, you better be ready to use your Geass to make me stay!"

"I can't."

"You can't?"

"My Geass can only compel a person once and I already used it on you to get information about the Shinjuku ghetto skirmish from you. I cannot force you to do anything against your will. Every decision you make is your own."

"Then it is my own decision to come with you," she says, grinning at him.

"Kallen…"

"Lelouch, please. I want to be with you, even if it's only for a few months. I don't care what happens to me after that."

Lelouch looks resigned.

"I'll be going to war against the Black Knights, your friends. Do you understand that?"

"Even so, my choice remains the same. I'll follow you regardless."

"Are you certain that this is what you want?"

She looks him in the eyes with a serious expression.

"Yes, I am certain."

He sighs.

"Very well."

She walks up to him and kisses him. He returns the kiss. It feels amazing.

"Listen, Kallen. I need you to go and secure the Guren. I won't force you to fight against your friends if you don't want to, but we need to keep the Black Knights from using your greatest weapon against us. Can you do that?"

"Hai, Zero." She salutes him, just like she used to before that fateful day on the Ikaruga, and begins to walk away.

"Q1." She looks back. "It's good to have you back."

He smiles at her. It's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. She smiles as well.

"It's good to be back, Zero."

Suddenly, her chest explodes with excruciating pain. Her knees buckle under her and she starts to fall. Lelouch catches her. When did his robes become red? He's shouting something, but she can't make out any words. Her vision gets blurry. She's starting to feel cold. As her consciousness drifts away, the last thing she sees is a flash of light reflected in the scope of a Black Knight's sniper rifle.

Suzaku sits in the cockpit of the Lancelot Albion, waiting for the UFN conference meeting to commence. He gets a signal on the comms. It's from Lelouch. Something's wrong. Lelouch isn't supposed to contact him yet. Suzaku opens the channel.

"Your Majesty?"

"Change of plans," Lelouch says. He sounds distraught. "You are to destroy the Ashford Academy. Kill the UFN representatives and any Black Knights you come across."

"Lelouch? What's going on?"

"You have your orders, Sir Kururugi. Destroy the Academy. Kill. Everyone."

Suzaku gulps.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

A/N: So, this is what I think would happen if Lelouch accepted Kallen's feelings. Because the writers are very determined to kill the ship deader than dead. I don't even really care if this does well, I just needed to get it out of my system so I can stop thinking about it.

What follows is basically the same as canon, except Lelouch is even more vicious as the Demon Emperor and actually executes the leaders of the Black Knights. Oh, and since Kallen isn't there, Gino is the one to "kill" Suzaku.