A/N: Happy Birthday Lulu! As a present I managed to get him into this chapter, event though I wasn't planning on it until I wrote it.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass.

Nunally looked on at Suzaku's bewildered expression, wondering how could he not know? But then, she had taken a considerable amount of time to work out the truth of the matter herself.

"Lelouch isn't alive, he can't be… I killed him, I saw him die." Suzaku mumbled, more to himself than for Nunally's sake. "There's no way he could have survived that. How… how would he have managed that?"

"If I am right," started Nunally, her gaze piercing through Suzaku's stupor, "and I believe I am, otherwise I would not be asking you this, he was given something by that green-haired woman. I think CC was her name. Whatever it was, he understood it would make it so he wasn't killed, so that he would recover from the wound."

"Her…" Suzaku struggled to remember. What had it been called? "Her code? She gave that to him?"

"I don't know what it was, but that's what I saw."

"Saw?"

"I don't know how, and I don't think he meant for it to happen, but when I touched his…" Nunally stopped herself before she said the word corpse. "When I touched him, after you… you know… I saw some of his memories. That's how I knew you were Zero, that's how I knew about the plan you made together, Zero Requiem, and it's how I know he's still alive."

Suzaku, who'd been about to protest, faltered at the mention of Zero Requiem. There were only three people who knew the full truth of Zero Requiem, and, more importantly, called it by that name; himself, CC and Lelouch. Well, he knew he hadn't told Nunally, and he was fairly certain that CC wouldn't have. The only place she could possibly have heard it from was Lelouch.

"… I suppose," he conceded. "If that's true, then I will accept the prospect that he may be still alive."

"So, you will find him for me?"

"I will. I have a few things I want to ask him myself. But I don't know where I would begin searching."

"Jeremiah Gottwald," declared Nunally. "He's the one who supposedly got rid of the body. He should know where to start."

"Do you know where I can find him? I haven't heard anything of him since he stopped living with Anya at the orangery."

"He still visits the Asplund Institute twice a year for maintenance. They'll have his current address on record."

The Asplund Institute was a technological organisation, founded by Lloyd Asplund, father of the Lancelot, and 'friend' of Suzaku's. After his original research foundation, Camelot, was shut down when the production of war-based Knightmare Frames ceased, the pudding earl had needed something else to occupy both his time and his restless mind. The Asplund Institute was the result. It was responsible for many of the new world's mechanical gadgets, machines and toys. Though Lloyd himself had long since retired, the institute had had more than enough success to carry on without him.

Apparently, according to Nunally's latest revelation, they were also responsible for looking after Jeremiah. His mechanical parts wouldn't look after themselves after all; they required regular maintenance to maximise both their own, and Jeremiah's, lifespan. It was certainly true that Jeremiah's rate of ageing was reduced, at least, so it had seemed the last time Suzaku had seen the man, many years before.

Jeremiah had very quickly been excluded from all official proceedings after Zero Requiem. This was partly because he'd been loyal to Lelouch, without having been under the influence of his geass. He had been quickly pardoned for that however, after explaining that he'd been unable to protect the poor boys mother, and had felt he'd owed it to her. And now that Lelouch was dead, he would try to settle his debt further, by offering his services for Nunally's protection.

The other reason was more prominent, and had led to him being sent away. His mechanical implants, particularly the weapons had put him in the same class as the Knightmares. He was built for war, and therefore had no place in the new world order. Unofficially, his close associated with geass had also contributed to this. Even though what he possessed was a geass canceller, he was still deemed too dangerous, and the majority of the officials who'd known about geass had not wanted him in close proximity to themselves.

And yes, Jeremiah had been left with the unenviable task of dealing with Lelouch's body. He'd supposedly buried him in an unmarked grave, to protect him from vandals, those wishing to take their own petty revenge on the tyrant emperor. He'd taken on the task readily; he'd been the only one who'd wanted it. Although now it seemed that he'd not buried Lelouch, but had instead helped him flee the country.

"I will go and find him then Nunally, and then I'll track down Lelouch, wherever he is. When should I leave?"

"I will arrange for Jeremiah's present address to be delivered to you first thing tomorrow morning." Good thing about power, she could get things such as this done quickly. "I would like you to leave immediately after that. I have very few official duties to perform over the next two days, so your absence will not be noticed. I expect you to have found some form of replacement by that time."

Suzaku already had a good idea who would take over for him for the short period he'd be away. He was pleased that Nunally had faith that he'd get things done quickly, although it was obvious she was anxious about speaking to her brother.

"I will leave tomorrow then." He stood and bowed his acceptance, then reclaimed his mask and gloves from their spot on the chair. "Was that all Nunally?"

"Yes." she replied

Suzaku pulled on the helmet and gloves, and bowed again. "Then I bid you good night Your Majesty."

"Good night Suzaku, and good luck." replied Nunally with a smile as Suzaku turned and left the room.

The oppressing taste of dirt. The struggle, bloodied fingers clawing desperately upwards. A glimpse, a pale fragment of light through the cloying darkness, the brilliant shooting feeling of success as hand breached into the air. New strength flooding through at the sight of the bright moonlight, giving the ability to drag a gasping body upwards. Crawling forwards, away from the sodden soil of the former prison, and collapsing forwards onto the damp grass from exhaustion. Briefly, looking up, there was the familiar shape of a mountain, silhouetted against the moonlight. Finally, momentary strength gave out and vision darkened.

A voice rang out across the space, unheard.

Who am I? It asked.

Who am I?

Lelouch awoke with a start.

"Who… who are you?" he asked the empty room unthinkingly.

He sat up, confused, dislodging the snow-white cat from his chest where she'd been sleeping peacefully. She turned her green eyes on him, to glare at him momentarily, but then jumped down off of the bed gracefully and without further complaint followed Lelouch as he paced into the kitchen.

He made a cup of tea and sat at the table, looking out of the window and watching the dawn break, brighter colours seeping in slowly against the darkness. The white cat sprang up onto his lap, not quite ready to give up his warmth yet. He mused quietly on his dream, whilst gently stroking her soft fur.

Was it a dream though? He didn't think so. There had been a certain familiarity about it.

He knew what it felt like. It was like that constant thrum in the back of his mind. The network, or whatever it was called, if it even had a name, that connected all those people worldwide who possessed codes. Though he said all in reality there were only about half a dozen. He knew that CC had occasionally communicated with VV, and, she'd told him, Marianne as well, at least while she'd been out of possession of her own body, and merely riding around in the back of Anya's head. They did not talk to him. They remained silent. They did not know him. He was too new, too unfamiliar. Occasionally he felt a few vibrations that meant they were communicating with each other. But, as he figured, he would remain unable to speak to them until they'd actually encountered him physically.

Yet… this dream. It was the same feeling. But it wasn't a conversation, or any form of two-way communication. It was just a series of images, sensations. And a question.

Who am I?

The familiarity ran deeper than just the form the communication had taken. He felt he recognised the setting. Somehow he knew he could answer the question. He didn't know how, or where this place was. Just that he was the only one able to do so.

He smiled. He finally had something to do.

He watched as his other cat, this one black, slipped in through the flap in the door, and looked up at him in annoyance as he noted its food bowl was empty, even though Lelouch was awake.

He had something to do. He'd get right on it, as soon as he'd fed the cats.

The cats were a fairly recent addition to his life. He'd been moving around the country, changing locations every four or five years when he started to look very suspicious. Every time he did so he had to leave behind any acquaintances he'd acquired, although he never made friends. Friends were too dangerous. There only person who remained a constant in his life was CC's voice over the phone, and her increasingly infrequent visits. He was going crazy from the lack of contact with people, since for the most part he remained inside, not wanting to expose his face too frequently. He was lonely.

The cats had been CC's suggestion. Since he couldn't maintain contact with humans, and he wouldn't give anyone geass to bind them too him, she'd suggested that some form of contact, even with an animal would make him happier. This was around the time Mao had presented his young children, her grandchildren, with a puppy for Christmas.

So he'd taken her advice and gotten himself a couple of kittens. Cats suited him much more than dogs, and didn't require him to exercise them himself. He had more experience with cats any way, even if his memories of a certain Arthur were often associated with annoyance, like that time the accursed feline had run off with his mask. However annoying said cat in question may have been, cats did in general have an association with more pleasant times, and better company, such as Suzaku and the rest of the student council.

And, it had worked. With the two kittens, which rapidly grew up to become the occasionally irritating, but generally compassionate cats they were today, under his care, he felt much less alone. The cats didn't care that he was not quite human. They made no complaint about his apparent inability to age. They had quite contentedly moved across the country with him twice now. And, despite himself, he'd grown rather attached to the pair.

CC had teased him about them down the phone. She said he was like a crazy old lady, living in a house all by himself, never going out, with just his cats for company. He'd complained about this, but had smiled nonetheless, amused by CC's incessant teasing of him. He figured he could leave the cats with her, as soon as he figured out exactly where it was he was supposed to be going.

AN: Again, a few answers, and further mysteries. A sub-plot miraculously blooms into existence. And about the cats: Don't ask, I have no idea where they came from. They seemed to fit in well at the time. They have names too. Any guesses?