So, this chapter didn't take as long to write. Mysteries will begin to unravel soon. A viewer brought up a very good point. Yes, C.C. should still have a bond with Lelouch, however I already have that issue planned out, so no need to worry. I promised I wouldn't do anything that would dishonor the series and I will keep everyone IC to the best of my ability. If you have any questions or if I've missed anything then please feel free to let me know in a review.

Disclaimer: Code Geass belongs to Clamp and Sunrise, I own nothing save for the plot. Enjoy! :)

Turn 3: Out of Hibernation

"Forget it, You can't force me to do this!"

"Come on, Lelouch. You can't stay in this apartment forever."

"The hell I can't. It'd be suicide to go out there!"

"That's why you'll be in disguise. Come on, I have the perfect look for you."

"No! Stop, dammit Suzaku, let me go!"

Lelouch struggled for all he was worth to get away, but the stronger, former Knight of Zero was no longer taking orders from his king. The brunette dragged his friend into the bathroom and shut the door.

Over the next several minutes sounds of a struggle carried down the hall and into the living room. Cornelia had just returned from spending the day with her sister when she heard the commotion. She immediately pulled out her gun and dropped her purse.

Creeping along the wall she took off the safety. She could tell the sounds were coming from the bathroom, but the door was closed and she had no idea where her brother was. She only hoped that he hadn't been seen and attacked.

She had the element of surprise and decided now was the time to act. Kicking open the door she trained her gun on the first person that came in her line of sight.

"Alright, don't move!"

The brunette standing before her had just managed a lucky hit on Suzaku who was on the bathroom floor rubbing his jaw. Cornelia glared at the intruder. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The man blinked in annoyed surprise, "You mean this stupid disguise actually works?"

Suzaku burst into fits on laughter. "Told you so! Your own sister doesn't even recognize you, haha!"

Cornelia let that comment sink in for a moment. "L-Lelouch?"

The once raven-haired-turned-brunette sighed as he shook his head in a 'I give up' gesture.

A short time later Cornelia was sitting at the dining table with a cup of tea in her hands. Now that the confusion had been cleared she found the whole event rather amusing. "Oh, what's wrong with going out, Lelouch? Everyone saw the Demon Emperor die on live television, I doubt they'd be paying attention to detail that much to notice."

"And what about Suzaku? He's suppose to be dead as well, won't the people notice that?"

"Not looking like this they won't."

The siblings turned to see a blonde exit from the bathroom. He had died his hair as well and was sporting a pair of light blue eyes thanks to his new contact lens.

"There, now no one will be the wiser." He approached Lelouch who instinctively went on the defensive after earlier's incident. But the blonde only reached for a small sandwich. Seeing his friend's reaction made him smile.

"Relax, I already dyed your hair," he chuckled in good humor.

He took a seat next to Cornelia as they shared a lunch. Lelouch was still brooding over the attack he had suffered at the hands of his friend. No matter what they tried, he was not walking out that front door.

"So, how's Nunnally?" asked Suzaku in between bites.

Cornelia swallowed another sip of tea before answering. "She seems fine, but I know she cries herself to sleep at night."

Lelouch tried to ignore the conversation, but ignoring his sister's pain was something he couldn't do. No matter how many times he told himself he could no longer do anything about it.

"How can you tell?" asked Suzaku. As Zero he was always by Nunnally's side and didn't see that kind of reaction other than the occasional brief moment of sadness.

"I've been speaking to her lady's maids. They say her pillow case is always damp in the morning."

Both she and Suzaku watched Lelouch, wondering what he thought of this. They were hoping for guilt. He remained stone-faced.

"That's too bad," Suzaku continued, "if only she knew her brother was alive."

"We've been through this. She's better off this way," Lelouch shot him a glare.

"Try telling her that," Suzaku replied.

"You know I can't."

Cornelia had heard enough. "Lelouch, if you keep your survival secret from her it'll only be harder for her to forgive you later."

Lelouch looked off to the side, directing his gaze at the floor. "She'll be happier this way, free of guilt instead of fearing what would happen if the Empress was found hiding the most hated man in the world."

"You could always be Zero again."

Lelouch looked over at Suzaku. Did everything they planned mean nothing to him? Suzaku sensed the conversation was going no where and with one last bite decided it was time for the main task of the day; getting Lelouch outside.

. . .

One hour later saw an even grumpier Lelouch sitting on a park bench. The now blonde Suzaku held out a popsicle for his friend. Lelouch ignored it. He was still sulking.

"I can't believe you got me out."

"Oh, come on, you're not still mad about that kick, are you?" The glare Lelouch shot him was all the answer Suzaku needed.

While trying to fight off his sister who was actually pulling him out the door, Lelouch had managed to get a firm grip on the door frame and refused to budge. Suzaku had taken this chance to go behind his friend and kicked him in the rear, sending the brunette flying forward.

A couple of kids running by provided a good distraction for his anger. One of them was dressed as Kallen in the uniform she would wear while fighting in her knightmare while the other two dressed like the Knight of Zero and Zero himself.

They were trying to reenact one of the great battles to the best of their child abilities. Suzaku couldn't hide a smile, seeing as the children were a mix of Britannians and Japanese. It reminded him of the time he spent with Euphie and he saw a child pretending to be a Black Knight. This time no parent tried to stop the children from playing as their favorite heroes.

Lelouch was watching them too, and while he was proud that he had brought peace to the world, he also felt lonely. He could never fully enjoy it. Not with his friends, his mind flashed back to the night where his they had chosen to miss the school trip in order to wait for him, just for him. They were shooting off fireworks and Shirley was holding out a paper crane, wishing that they would all shoot off fireworks with everyone again someday. It was because of him that she was gone. The flashback of her death played in his mind, making him feel even worse.

"Hey!" Suzaku flicked his friend in the forehead forcing him to snap out of it. "You frown anymore and the grim reaper will appear."

Lelouch huffed at the thought, but kept silent. Suzaku was really starting to worry now. When he had gotten a moment alone with Cornelia, she had told him of Lelouch's depressed demeanor, and both agreed to try different ways to bring him around. It was Suzaku's turn today and so far it wasn't going as planned.

"Your ice cream's melting."

"Huh?" Suzaku looked down at his frozen treat and noticed his friend was right. He took a few bites in order to save it from dripping on the pavement. Lelouch had started eating his. Suzaku wanted to take that as a good sign.

"So,..." Suzaku began, "what have you thought about doing with your life now? You could be anybody and with your talents you could achieve a very high status."

It surprised Suzaku when his friend smiled at the thought. It reminded Lelouch of the day when everything changed. Rivalz had asked him the same thing and then a year later it was Rolo. Now Suzaku asked and Lelouch couldn't help but wonder, was that the signal to set off something greater?

"You want me to fall into an ordinary life?"

"No, I want you to stop feeling like you live on a different wavelength than everyone else. Do something that you enjoy instead of worrying about everyone else for once."

Lelouch glanced over at his friend. He had known Suzaku longer than anyone else other than Nunnally. He was the first real friend he ever had. Suzaku never treated him like a prince of Britannia, if anything he was treated like dirt. He didn't exactly enjoy getting beaten, but Suzaku was the first that treated him like a real person. He was also the only one who could upset his plans. He was the wrench in the works of all of his schemes. Lelouch suddenly let out a laugh.

Suzaku was caught off guard by his friend's reaction. "What's so funny?"

Lelouch calmed himself and looked up at the sky with a smile. "Just something I should have realized a long time ago."

Suzaku wanted to ask, but it was clear Lelouch wasn't going to say. After finishing their ice cream they headed downtown. The areas that had been destroyed from the F.L.I.E.J.A. were being rebuilt and still closed off. The mall however was left untouched as was the arcade.

Suzaku grabbed his friend and dragged him inside where he challenged him to several video games. Lelouch lost to all of the fighting games, but made up for it in games of strategy. They were simple enough, and a joke compared to the giant chess board he played against his brother, Schnizel. Lelouch remembered that battle well. For the first few minutes no one fired a shot, only kept changing position to best suit their leader's plan.

Lelouch often thought of life as a chess board, but he never thought about what happens when there's no one else to play against. Putting it simply. He was stuck waiting for another player to move, but there was one thing he couldn't tell. Was it their move or his?

"Yeah!" shouted Suzaku as he was caught up in the moment. "Schooled you at air hockey too! Man, you really need to have better reflexes."

Lelouch shook his head with a smile. "My reflexes are fine, not everyone can test their skills against their equal time and time again."

"You mean Kallen?" asked the blonde.

"I remember time and again you would always come close, but neither one of you could defeat the other in combat," replied the brunette.

Suzaku stiffed a laugh, "That's true, but she beat me in the end."

The sun had almost set by the time the two were walking back to the apartment. Despite how the day started, Lelouch felt better and was even a little glad that he had stepped out. He hated the new hair color, but it did its job. No one gave him a second glance.

Suzaku didn't want to say anything but, "You know, there's a party coming up. Cornelia and I will both be there. Think you'll be alright on your own? or, Did you want to come?"

"You know I can't." Lelouch replied quickly.

It was such a fast, defensive reply that Suzaku winced slightly. "I know, why you did it, but why keep everyone in the dark. The Zero Requim worked, The 99th Emperor is dead to the world, but that doesn't mean you have to keep hiding yourself from your friends and family. No matter how you acted or treated them in the past, they're still your friends and Nunnally is your sister."

"I told you, Suzaku,...the only way for everyone to live a happy peaceful life is if I'm not apart of it."

"Why? Is this some kind of punishment you think you deserve? I'll admit that there are things I can never forgive you for, but I can understand why you did it. That's why I agreed to help you and why I decided to save you. Lelouch, the world has started over. It's time you do the same!"

When it was clear Lelouch wasn't going to discuss it further, Suzaku let out a defeated sigh and kept walking. Lelouch on the other hand hesitated for a moment. Something his friend said that made him question the circumstances of his survival.

"Decided to save me?...What does that mean?"