Author's Note:

Well, I'm apparently not dead (although that is very debatable at the moment). This chapter is primarily a transitionary one, so don't expect anything too crazy to be happening just yet. Also, I can't say I was too satisfied with my writing for this chapter, so I apologize for that ahead of time. My characterizations and flow feel slightly off when reading it over, but I've been staring at this draft for months and figured I should just go ahead and post it. I might go back and edit it again before posting the next chapter, but I'll clearly mark if I decide to do that.

Hope you enjoy regardless!

Nunnally wanted to listen to Euphy's announcement with rapt attention, however she was finding it increasingly hard to focus. Lelouch's hand remained clasped so tightly around hers that it almost hurt, yet his iron grip did nothing to conceal his strengthening tremor.

"Brother…" She moved her arm just a little from under his, to relieve the pressure.

He didn't respond immediately, and Nunnally wondered for a moment if he hadn't heard her plea. She'd already opened her mouth to express her concern more directly when he finally released her hand. "I'm sorry," he apologized, with a strange coldness to his voice. "We'll leave as soon as the crowds are gone."

They then waited in an extended awkward silence. She considered talking more with her brother, but he didn't seem to be in the mood for conversation. Kallen stayed silent as well, and if Nunnally had been anyone else, she may have forgotten her presence altogether. Well, maybe Kallen hadn't been feeling well to begin with, if she too decided to hide from the pizza-making ceremony.

Now that she was thinking about it, were Kallen and her brother close? They'd both been chatting together in the booth when she and Euphy sought Lelouch out earlier in the day, and he seemed comfortable with all three of them hiding together now. Obviously, they were both members of the student council, but Nunnally knew that Kallen was often absent due to her illness. She'd also heard some rumors about her brother's recent absences as well, although Milly and Shirley tended to avoid the topic whenever she asked. Could he have been… visiting Kallen while she was ill? But if Lelouch and Kallen were dating, what did that mean about C.C.? Why was everything so confusing?

Fifteen to twenty minutes later, her brother indicated that it was time to leave. Nunnally turned to her left with a soft, considerate smile and pushed all of her previous thoughts aside. "Have a nice day, Kallen."

"You too… Nunnally." Her voice sounded empty, almost haunted, and unfortunately Nunnally didn't have any time to think on it before her brother pushed her quickly out of the booth, across campus, and back to their suite. She could still hear some nearby students conversing as they passed, but she supposed that at least the press must have departed if her brother felt comfortable enough to make the journey.

"Of course, she isn't here," Lelouch muttered upon their arrival home.

"Who?" Nunnally pondered this as she listened to the silence of their suite. It wasn't a very useful indicator, considering both of their guests were typically quieter. "Do you mean Miss. Sayoko? She told me after I met with Euphy that she was going to help Milly with the pizza."

She heard a shift, what she imagined was Lelouch shaking his head. "No," he said, his voice tight. "I meant C.C. I promised to bring her a slice of the pizza, but it seems she's… wandered off." He sighed. "I'm sure they'll both be back soon."

He walked away from her then, which Nunnally assumed was to check the remainder of the suite for either woman. How strange; he usually announced his intentions more clearly for her sake. At least she trusted him to not leave her alone for long.

Sure enough, he returned within a minute. She heard a beep as he turned on his phone. "I'm ordering pizza. Should I assume you'd like cheese, per usual?"

Normally, Lelouch or Sayoko cooked dinner, and C.C. was the one who ordered pizza as a snack. Was this to make up for the pizza they didn't get to enjoy earlier, or was there another reason?

"Lelouch," she asked carefully, "is something wrong?"

"Of course not," he answered rather quickly. Nunnally didn't need to be holding his hand to detect the lie this time.

She positioned her wheelchair closer to where he was standing. Why was he so far away? "You never order pizza."

"I just wasn't expecting to cook tonight is all." His voice had shifted closer to the ground, so he'd likely bent down to her level. "The festival… didn't quite go as planned."

Well, that was true but… "This isn't about Euphy, is it?"

The silence she was met with indicated that she'd discovered at least that was correct. She pressed on, trying to assuage his worries, "Euphy promised she wouldn't tell anyone about us. I let her know how important that was –"

"I know," he said forcefully, then sighed and said more softly, "I know."

If their identities being exposed wasn't what was concerning him… "Then what's wrong? Wasn't it nice to see her again after all this time?"

She could almost feel Lelouch's eyes on her then, considering how much he was going to say. Nunnally remembered a time not too long ago when she'd known that her brother would answer her questions honestly, without the need for careful phrasing. When had they reached this point? When had he become so comfortable with lying to her, or at least with hiding the truth?

"It was… nice," he agreed slowly, "but you heard what she announced earlier, didn't you? The Specially Administrated Zone of Japan?"

She'd heard, yes, but considering her brother's measured words, she was concerned that perhaps she'd misunderstood. "The Japanese will be recognized and regain their rights. They can be happy, right?"

"Perhaps." She understood from the tone that something was weighing on his mind, and that maybe he regretted saying anything at all. "I think only time will tell."

Did he think the Zone wouldn't work? Was he concerned about Euphy? Or maybe about the Black Knights? There were so many reasons why he could be worried about the Zone, yet he obviously wasn't offering any reason freely. Should she probe further?

"You're not thinking about going into politics, are you?" she teased instead, knowing full well the impossibility.

Lelouch chuckled slightly, and she felt his hand gently stroke her hair. "Don't you even joke."

Well, she still didn't have her answers, but the last thing she wanted to do was start an argument with her brother, especially when he seemed so stressed already. They could discuss it another time, maybe after the opening of the Specially Administered Zone. Maybe he'd be more willing to share his opinion then, after he saw that Euphy's plan was successful. Maybe they could even visit the Zone together someday.

Nunnally smiled at the thought. "Oh, and for what you asked earlier, yes, I'll have cheese."

"And I'll have pepperoni," C.C. added suddenly from the direction of the entrance. Lelouch huffed in return, and Nunnally couldn't help but giggle.

Suzaku finally arrived at the Government Bureau around 8 pm. Euphy had been whisked away by her security team at the festival, but Suzaku had opted to remain behind out of obligation to the student council. Even with every club board assisting with clean-up, the process still took nearly three hours. Suzaku couldn't help but wonder how much more efficient they could have been had Lelouch been directing them like he did the festival, but he and Nunnally had vanished soon after he'd spotted them with… but that couldn't be right, could it?

Somehow, the Bureau had become even more chaotic than the festival. The military was holding back both curious crowds and the press at the door, and it seemed every phone in the building was in use by one secretary or another. Thankfully, the commotion seemed clustered primarily towards the front. No one paid him any mind as he flashed his ID, stepped through the back entrance, and meandered down the halls to Euphy's office.

He let his thoughts wander as he walked. Specially Administrated Zone of Japan? Of course, Euphy would be the one kind enough to implement such a plan, a compromise which would allow the Japanese and Britannians to finally live together as equals. It was beautiful, really, a system that could affect real change.

The more he thought about it, however, the more he began to wonder why the rest of her family would have approved a recognition of Japan and its people. Every other Area that he knew of implemented some form of the Number System. It seemed unlikely that Britannia's entire policy enacted during their global conquests would suddenly change because of Euphy's insistence.

Wait, he was thinking about this wrong. Maybe Britannia saw all the discontent stirred from terrorism and decided to take a kinder approach. Maybe they realized that allowing some small form of self-governance would help people accept them and live together more peacefully. Maybe this was some form of experiment that they hoped to bring to other Areas as well. The last thing he needed was to find himself drawn into Lelouch's brand of cynicism.

Peace could be achieved. The only question was… would the Black Knights really allow that to happen? Would Zero really accept this alternative to violence, this version of Japan where he wasn't the one in control? Suzaku felt a chill, afraid the man wouldn't give up so easily.

Thinking of Zero, the earlier events of the day finally caught up to him. He tried to push away the image of the green-haired woman – C.C. – standing beside the masked man in Narita. He tried to ignore Lelouch's indifference towards harboring a terrorist. He tried to –

Suzaku finally arrived at his destination, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. Euphy. He was here to see Euphy. Zero, C.C., Lelouch… that would have to wait. He knocked on the door twice, and stated formally despite the silence in the hall, "Your Highness, Sir Kururugi reporting."

He heard a faint rustling of papers. "Suzaku! Come in!"

He entered the room, and there she was, standing in front of her desk, changed out of her street clothes and into her white and pink dress uniform. She was smiling just as brightly as she had earlier in the day, barely able to contain her bursting excitement.

As soon as the door slid shut, Euphy closed the distance between them until she was barely a breath away. "Isn't it wonderful, Suzaku? We're going to have peace again! The Japanese will reclaim their name and culture, and Britannians can live in the settlements without fear of violence! Everyone will finally live in peace!"

Without thinking, Suzaku felt his own smile form in return, his previous fears melting away. He loved seeing her bring happiness to others. "It's amazing, Euphy."

"Oh, I just knew you'd agree!" she squealed as she wrapped her arms around Suzaku's neck in a firm embrace. "I can't wait until opening day."

Suzaku blinked, not quite used to the feeling of her hug. Her perfume wafted into the air, much more fragrant than usual. He circled his arms around her waist in return, hoping the gesture wasn't too awkward. Was this… even okay? With Euphy, at least, he assumed it was fine.

After a long moment, Euphy pulled back and met his eyes. She must have found something concerning, as her expression softened into one of worry. "Is something wrong? I'm not being too hasty, am I? My sister always seems to think so."

What Suzaku wanted was to feel the warmth of her hug again, but he felt his other concern returning, the one that wouldn't recede from his thoughts no matter how hard he tried. "I'm just… worried about the Black Knights."

"What about them?"

He shifted. Why did she sound so confident? "You trust that Zero will cooperate?"

Her smile returned, as exuberant as ever. "Of course he will," she stated, without any sign of doubt. "He wants what's best for the Japanese people. I know we can't return the whole Area to them, so giving them land and returning their honor to them in name seems to be the best compromise. My brother Schneizel thinks so as well."

Her brother… Well, now seemed to be as good a time as any to ask about that. "Euphy?" She nodded as he spoke, listening intently. "Who was it you were talking with at the festival? I saw you with some… friends of mine while I was making the pizza. Up on the hill."

Euphy blinked with wide eyes, and for a moment Suzaku thought she wouldn't answer. Then, she closed her eyes and giggled. "Oh, Suzaku, you caught us. Isn't it wonderful? That we were able to see each other again after all this time?"

He froze. She had reunited with Lelouch and Nunnally after all. He'd kept their secret from her this whole time, and it still hadn't mattered in the end. He expected blame, but it never arrived. She instead continued on with a smile, "Part of why I was so eager to make the Specially Administrated Zone was for them, so we can finally all live together without fear."

He let himself imagine that scenario, of him, Euphy, Lelouch, and Nunnally living happily together. Actually, maybe even Kallen or C.C. could join them. Euphy was right. Without the Number System, what need would the Black Knights have to continue fighting? Peace, and no more hiding… what a wonderful idea.

"And your sister… does she know?"

"No, N – " She abruptly cut off the name. "She," Euphy amended, "made it clear that they do not want her involved at the moment, and I plan to respect their wishes. She told me that she's satisfied living together with her brother, but I suppose I can only hope that with time, they'll change their minds and realize that we just want what's best for us all."

Nunnally really said all of that? He'd always assumed it was Lelouch keeping them hidden for so long. Lelouch, who renounced his claim to the throne and carried Nunnally with him through a battlefield. Lelouch, who changed their identities and spent his time gambling for their expenses. Lelouch, who was harboring a fugitive and apparently sympathized with the Black Knights.

How much of that did Euphy know?

She held up her phone and smiled. "Speaking of her brother, she gave me both of their numbers, but I doubt he knows. For emergencies, apparently, although I'm sure she would appreciate a call regardless. It's been so long since we last met, and I feel like we need to make up for lost time."

Suzaku had felt the same way upon his reunion with Lelouch at Ashford. Making up for lost time… sure, he'd been respecting Lelouch's wishes, but was it truly right to have kept these siblings apart for so long, as the sworn knight of the one who wanted them reunited? Ultimately, he knew he would have made the same choice again, keeping secrets, lying indirectly. He felt a twinge of guilt from that and looked off to the side. "I'm sorry Euphy, for keeping them from you. I'm your knight; I should have –"

Euphy placed her hand on his arm. "No, I'm sure that's what they wanted. And you've been protecting them until now, isn't that right?" He thought of the white-haired kidnapper from several weeks ago and flinched, not wanting to relive that incident again. She lifted her arm and stepped back. "So, thank you, Suzaku. What matters is that we're all together now, and nothing's going to keep us apart anymore."

She folded her hands together at her front and smiled warmly, with finality. "Let's do our best and make the Special Zone a great success, alright?"

Kallen arrived at the Black Knights' base the following afternoon despite not receiving any explicit communication from Zero. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea, as their original members were already gathered in the common area. Kallen stifled a yawn as she stood in the entryway, taking it all in. "Is Zero –?"

"He arrived with C.C. around nine," Minami answered with a grimace. "Haven't seen him since."

"Yeah, he said something about an announcement at the end of the day," Sugiyama added. He shrugged. "What can you do?"

Inoue rolled her eyes. "Leaves us with cleaning up Tamaki's finances while we wait."

"Hey, I'm been doin' fine with the money! It's not my fault that asshole delivered a thousand radios instead of batteries!"

"It is when the paperwork clearly shows you ordered it that way."

As they argued, Kallen's eyes drifted to Ohgi, who was staring at her with a patient smile. She returned the expression before setting off into the hall. She'd spoken to Ohgi only briefly by phone the night before, and she was certainly not in the right frame of mind to continue that conversation now.

She knocked once at the typically-avoided office. "Zero, it's me. May I… may I come in?"

The door slid open, revealing C.C. just beyond its frame. Kallen tried to hide her frustration with the woman whose presence had forced her to reconcile Zero's identity, but she doubted she was doing a very good job. C.C. let pass the smallest hint of a smile in acknowledgement, but Kallen was certainly not interested in her mirth. She simply nodded in passing as she stepped into Zero's quarters and allowed the door to slide shut behind her.

The man in question was seated at his desk, mask firmly in place. A laptop was open before him, with stacks upon stacks of papers surrounding it on either side. A chessboard could barely be seen behind the set-up, seemingly in the middle of a game, although numerous pieces appeared knocked over. Had he been playing with C.C.?

"Kallen," he spoke evenly. "What brings you here?"

What indeed. Even now, she wasn't sure.

"Take off your mask." When he made no motion to do so, Kallen blushed as she realized how rude that sounded. Since when did she talk to Zero that way? She bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry. What I meant was, sir, could you please remove your mask?"

"For what reason?"

"A confirmation. Of our discussion yesterday, I mean."

Kallen wondered if she imagined the sigh that arose as he slowly brought his right hand to his mask and released a mechanism. As she waited, a shred of Kallen still hoped that maybe she was wrong, that maybe the student council vice president had been lying about his involvement, receiving his knowledge from C.C. Alternatively, maybe he was a secret associate of the Black Knights working with Zero as an informant. Anything would be better than the most likely reality.

He removed the mask from his face, and Kallen was met with the familiar violet gaze of Lelouch Lamperouge.

He lowered the fabric covering his mouth and shook his hair free. "Are you satisfied?" he asked in Japanese, at a much lower pitch than she was used to hearing at Ashford.

What a trick question. She blinked, trying not to avert her eyes. Lelouch sitting here in Zero's costume… she'd likely never be used to the image. "I… I suppose so."

As they stared at each other, Kallen noticed just how weary he appeared. Bags had begun to collect under his eyes, and she had to wonder whether he had actually slept between yesterday and today. What was the cause, her discovery or Princess Euphemia's announcement?

"Long day?" she asked absently.

His mouth tightened into a frown, and he shifted his focus to the cluttered desk. "You could say that."

She wanted to agree but simply couldn't find the energy. Her world had certainly been unraveling in the past 24 hours, between finding him with C.C. and now. More recently, her thoughts kept wandering to one particular phone conversation the night before. "I lied to Ohgi, you know."

"Did you now?" Kallen found a little of her usual fire then, hating how both curious and smug he sounded. What, he takes off his mask and suddenly thinks he can treat me like Lelouch instead of Zero? "And what exactly did you tell him?"

She recalled Ohgi asking about Lelouch by name (a fact she hadn't remembered telling him) and forced herself to answer, "That I couldn't find you or C.C. after the warehouse. I've decided that I'll only feign ignorance; any other 'damage control' as you put it is on you."

"Fair enough."

"Considering you've lied to me for this long –" Kallen could tell he was about to respond and decided to cut him off before he could, "– and no, don't give me any more of your 'well actually I lied by omission' bullshit, because I really don't care right now –" Lelouch sent her a glare that she wished didn't scare her as much as it did "– is there any chance you'd actually choose to tell Ohgi the truth?"

His eyes lost none of their intensity as he responded. "Kallen," he began, and she crossed her arms, preparing for some kind of lecture, "why do you think I've hidden my face for as long as I have? Do you really think the Japanese would be so willing to follow a Britannian school boy?" Probably not. I wouldn't have in the beginning, given the choice. "Zero is a symbol to them, and so it must remain."

"Maybe that's true," she admitted, "but Ohgi and the others… we've all been with you since the beginning." Did she imagine Lelouch's eyes softening just a little? "You've already proven that you're the only one who can lead us, Zero. If he so obviously wants to know, why not show him the same trust we've given you?"

Lelouch brought a gloved hand to his face in thought. "'He so obviously wants to know', you say…" Kallen combed through her words in her head, trying to find the problem. "…if that's truly your impression, then he must already have some doubt in his mind that he wishes to disprove."

"Doubt?" Kallen scoffed and bit back the argument that she was maybe having her own doubts right now, instead trying to focus on what Ohgi could possibly be doubting given what little they'd heard. "If anything, he's probably doubting C.C.'s intentions right now and who else she might be working with." C.C. hummed a bit in the background, her only indication that she was paying attention. "All we heard was a student mentioning a coup in her presence. There's nothing more to uncover. Explain to him that it was you, and we'll return to how we were: the same organizational structure with no more surprises."

Kallen waited for Lelouch to challenge her impression, to tell her how wrong her opinion was, but the rebuttal never came. Maybe it was a testament to how exhausted they both were that he simply responded, "I'll take your suggestion into consideration."

That still felt distinctly like a 'no'. "Considering your past lies, I don't know if that's very assuring."

"I'm not giving you a promise I may not keep." Kallen settled into a glare. "If there's one thing you should believe, it's that we – the Black Knights – must triumph against Britannia, and we all must remain united now, especially given the recent announcement."

Kallen opened to mouth to respond but was interrupted by a phone ringing. Lelouch reached into the folds of his cape and pulled out a cellphone. He stared at the screen, considering it over multiple rings, and Kallen found herself wondering if this was his civilian or 'work' phone.

After some hesitation, he answered the call with a curt, "Yes?"

Kallen thought she could hear a girl's voice on the other end, speaking quite rapidly. Lelouch cautiously eyed her before interrupting the voice, "No, I don't care right now. I'll need to call you back. Is this number secure?"

His eyes narrowed at the response. "Are you sure?"

Kallen couldn't make out the answer, but it sounded concerned. "Yes, within the next several hours."

A grimace, then a tense, "I wouldn't exactly say you've made this easy for me either."

Kallen thought she could make out a short protest on the other end, but Lelouch cut it off. "No, I can't talk right now. You're correct, we need to discuss this soon, and I will call you back once I am available."

He hung up abruptly, and Kallen found herself pondering the strange mix of formality and familiarity that made the call difficult to differentiate between one of personal and 'professional' matters. "Who was that?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Lelouch didn't even bother to look up as he typed something rapidly into his phone. "No one you should worry about."

That sounded just a little too dismissive for her liking. Kallen knew she shouldn't pry, especially if the phone call was a personal one, but this… pattern was starting to get irritating. Maybe it had been too much to expect some heightened level of trust after he revealed himself to her, but was it wrong to hope? She'd already lied to Ohgi for him. How much further did he expect her to go without anything in return?

Kallen fought for Japan. Ostensibly, Zero did as well, although it was becoming more and more difficult to figure out how her Britannian classmate had settled into such a position. Her mission remained just as clear as it ever had, however, despite this boy who insisted on concealing everything from even his allies.

Frankly, it was infuriating. A boundary had to be set, and Kallen could only truly grasp one divide.

"So you know," she stated, "I'll accept your orders as Zero, but I won't take your shit, Lelouch. Not anymore."

Kallen thought she heard C.C. snicker from behind her, but she was too focused on Lelouch to care. He finished typing as if nothing were the matter then tucked his phone back into his cape. His piercing gaze met her own. "Oh?"

Lelouch rested his hands on his desk and stood, allowing her to fully take in his image. "And now?" She knew he could sense her hesitation, as she stared at him then in costume but without his mask. She recoiled slightly, despite herself. "There isn't always one or the other, Kallen. Sometimes, you may find neither. And in that time… what is it you will choose to do? Like you, my reasons are my own, but for now, we both must fight."

He closed his eyes. "I, for one, plan to keep moving forward, and I trust you will do the same."

Kallen resisted the urge to snap back or leave and instead forced herself to really consider his words. They were similar to what he'd told her at Port Yokosuka following the death of Shirley's father, a death that she only now realized he probably regretted just as much as she did. Her eyes drifted to his discarded mask on the tabletop. Neither Zero nor Lelouch he'd said… then just who the hell was he?

Regardless, she knew what she needed to do. He was right; the choice was the same either way.

Kallen sighed. "I may have my reservations, but I've told you before that I certainly don't plan to back down now."

His face morphed into an odd expression then, something between a tired smirk and a genuine smile. "Your resolve is appreciated, Kallen."

Days ago, she would have blushed at such a compliment from Zero, and although the feeling wasn't quite as strong now, the ghost of it still lingered. Kallen spoke quickly to cover up her warring emotions. "I just don't want the only thing to have come from this to be 'damage control'. I want trust, not just in me but in the rest of the Black Knights as well. Is that really too much to ask?"

Lelouch sat back down and picked up a pen, almost as a dismissal. "As I said before, I'll consider it." Still no promises, but apparently Kallen really couldn't expect that from him.

She turned to leave, commenting as she approached the door, "So, the Specially Administrated Zone..."

"I know," Lelouch stated softly, finally sounding almost as exhausted as he appeared. "I'll have an announcement at the end of the day."

A mechanism whirred as the door slid open. From behind her, Kallen heard Lelouch speak her name, distorted through his replaced mask. She turned expectantly, but he was already focused again on the laptop, his purple visor revealing nothing.

A moment of silence later, she left the room.

Lelouch returned Euphemia's call almost as soon as Kallen departed. Had he known she was the one calling, he wouldn't have answered the phone in Kallen's presence, however he hadn't expected her to have his number. He realized that Nunnally must have given it to her, and any anger he might have felt quickly washed away. He made sure to add her to his contacts immediately to prevent any future problems.

He assured himself repeatedly that Kallen hadn't heard anything incriminating during the first call. Euphemia hadn't introduced herself, and Lelouch made sure not to indicate his familiarity with her (an easier task than usual right now, given his general frustration with her recent impulsivity). The last thing he needed right now was for Kallen to overhear Euphemia call her 'brother' or something else which would incriminate him as a member of the royal family. As persistent as Kallen was being with trying to uncover some semblance of 'the truth', his heritage would certainly be kept secret. The Black Knights following a Britannian school boy was already tenuous; the Black Knights following a former Britannian prince would be almost insurmountable.

As expected, Euphemia agreed without hesitation to a private meeting between her and Zero, a meeting which he would formally request in the coming days. Lelouch's plans hadn't yet solidified, but he tried his best to push away the forming guilt for what would most likely occur regarding Euphemia, her reputation, and his Geass. It was necessary. He would be the only one hurt, and the Black Knights (or, more specifically, Zero) would remain as the saviors of the Japanese people. Lelouch refused to allow his rebellion to be quashed by some naïve half-measure that was likely approved only to undercut him.

Considering her initial eagerness, Lelouch was all the more confused when Euphemia called him back and requested one 'small' condition on their meeting.

"I shall meet with Princess Euphemia li Britannia personally before we agree to any sort of participation in the Specially Administrated Zone," Zero finally announced to the Black Knights that evening.

Multiple questions arose at once, but Zero ignored them all, turning his mask towards his ace. "Kallen, I'll need a favor from you then as well."

Author's Note:

Minor cliffhanger, I know. Figured you could use some suspense between updates lol.

Please let me know if anything is abnormal about the formatting. My computer was giving me a bit of trouble when copying/pasting text, so I wouldn't be surprised if chunks got deleted or something.

Also, be sure to check out my crack fic "Trigger" for a small dose of humor. I realized during my rewatch of Code Geass that Lelouch has a ubiquitous button / detonator that he uses for literally everything. Figured it could use a fic of its own lol. It's pretty stupid, but I'm determined to somehow make it a minor meme in this fandom, so I'd appreciate if you check it out. It's a half-written two-shot, and I plan to write that final chapter before the next chapter of this fic, so be on the lookout for that.

I appreciate everyone who has stuck with me up until this point. Like I said in the beginning, I kind of doubt this fic will ever be completed, but I hope you enjoy the ride regardless. The next chapter is titled in my draft as "It's the SAZ baybee", so you have that to look forward to I guess. As always, thank you for reading!