One Last Shot at Life…One Last Shot at Victory

Stage 7 "The Last Dirge"

A/N: Oh God, it felt so good when I had Kallen punch/smack Tamaki in the face…I just wish it were actually me who did it…Kallen, you're lucky. So, anyway, I would like to extend a special thanks to two very special people and they are:

General Nitro

And my closest and most dear friend:

Shirayuki25

The freak…she had me print out the first five chapters for her so she could read them. Then, she called me and went "AWWWW". It was SO fricken amusing…it's also amusing how my Microsoft Word dictionary did have the word 'fricken' in it. GIGGLE, GIGGLE TA HA! So anyway, onto the Disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER: Dunt own anythin'…god dammit.

Anywho, onto chapter seven…oh and for those of you who don't know (cough, Bailey, cough), a dirge is a funeral hymn or song. Just for simplicity, a song played at a funeral.

Stage 7 "The Last Dirge"

The sun was warm on Kallen's face. She squinted her eyes slightly and sat up. Wasn't this Lelouch's room? Her sapphire eyes glanced around, taking in her surroundings. She was perfectly calm until she heard Lelouch's soft sigh and felt him roll over. Oh. God. She wryly glanced down and saw Lelouch's back to her. He was shirtless. Kallen squeaked and looked down, making sure she was clothed, and that he had pants. Thank God, they both did, and she had a shirt. Kallen sighed in relief and flopped back down on the bed. "Thank goodness…" she grumbled, pulling the blankets up to her chin. "He really had me going…when did I even get in here?" She rolled out of the bed, and tucked Lelouch in. He looked so peaceful, sleeping soundly.

Kallen stood and stretched, then realizing that she was in one Lelouch's tee-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. "No wonder I was so comfortable…" she mumbled sleepily. She quickly bent over the bed and gave Lelouch a quick kiss to the forehead. "Sleep tight," she whispered, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. The pilot rushed over towards the door and rushed out as soon as it was open. She needed to get to her room so she wouldn't be caught in her commander's clothes.

"Hey Kallen," A voice called to her, it was Ohgi.

Kallen squeaked and picked up her pace. She rushed passed random people and ended up knocking C.C and her stacked plate of pizza over. "Sorry!" She called. She then ran straight into Tohdoh.

"Kallen…you should watch where you're going." He grumbled, rubbing his temple. He obviously wasn't having a good day and Kallen probably just made it slightly worse.

She blinked and glanced up. "O-oops…sorry Tohdoh…" She stammered, brushing off the higher ranked officer. After doing so, she giggled sheepishly and started to back up and around him. "It won't happen again, I promise," and with that said, she ran off to her room again.

Tohdoh blinked. "Ohgi?" He called the deputy commander to his side, who walked easily up, glancing up at him, waiting for him to continue. "Where those Zero's clothes? His pj's maybe?"

Ohgi blinked and watched as Kallen fled the hallway, still running into other people and apologizing every time she did. He waited till she had made it into her room before answering Tohdoh. "I believe so, Sir."

"I see…"

****CODE****GEASS****

Zero sat at the meeting table, tapping the hard surface with his finger. He was attempting to listen to Ohgi's report, but it just wasn't interesting to him. He had resorted to playing footsie with Kallen underneath the table. He sighed and noticed Tohdoh wave his hand, telling Ohgi to cut it off short.

Ohgi nodded at Tohdoh's hand movement and coughed. "That's about it, Zero," He saw him nodded lazily and wave him back to his seat, which Ohgi complied to. "Sir, are you all right? You seem tired and out of it, is everything all right?"

Zero only nodded. "I'm fine." He mumbled sleepily. Honestly, it was completely the opposite. He was a zombie wishing to go back to sleep. He noticed Kallen looking at him from the corner of his eye. He knew that she wasn't buying his lie, but his men couldn't know of their relationship…though, she already knew why he was so tired. Staying up till 8:30 A.M wasn't the smartest of moves. "What's next," he grumbled.

"Casualties, sir, we need to hold a honourary funeral service for all the men that died when we were in Britannia." Tohdoh answered, handing Zero a file that had just one single paper, cover back and front with names of those who perished for his sake, for his well-being.

The commander of the Order of Black Knights reluctantly took the file that was being handed to him. He flipped it open and for some reason, he was dragged back to when Princess Euphemia and had been talking…the day she died.

"Will you help me, Lelouch?"

"Yes, all Japanese must die…"

"Euphie! NO!"

Zero rubbed his temples in frustration. It was his fault that Euphemia was dead, but this had nothing to do with it, did it? Zero groaned softly and put his head down in his arms. He was definitely not okay.

"Zero," Kallen asked, she leaned over towards him, "Lelouch, are you all right?" Of course he wasn't all right. He was starting to feel the pangs of guilt from being Zero. All those innocent lives that were given up during their struggles…it was eating at him.

The commander pushed himself up from his chair and stalked out of the room. He was going to snap if he had heard anything more. "God dammit…" he hissed. He was mad at himself, mad that he had lost control Geass. Mad that he was the reason the Euphemia li Britannia was dead. He was the reason that his step-sister was dead.

"Lelouch!" Kallen ran after him, trying to catch his attention. Tohdoh had sent her after him after he left so abruptly from their meeting. The thing was topics such as death and those sacrificed for Japan never bothered Lelouch; they only made him think more. What made now any different. The date…the date, that's what changed everything. Today was the day that he had to kill Euphemia.

Lelouch turned around, Zero's mask in his hand. His eyes were distressed looking and he was pale. Lelouch leaned against the wall he was standing by and slid down it. When he landed on the ground he buried his face in his hands. "It's my fault…" he whimpered, he sounded like a child who had just lost his mother.

Kallen glanced sympathetically down at him. She then lowered herself to the floor where Lelouch sat. "What's your fault?" She asked softly.

"Euphemia…she…she's dead because of me." Lelouch whispered. He sounded defeated and lost. Like the world was against him. He never got like this and it scared Kallen. Lelouch was very much a strong willed person and him feeling guilt like this just ripped Kallen's heart apart.

"Oh, Lelouch, you did what you had to. Didn't she know you were Zero?" She comforted him, wrapping her arms around his trembling frame. She was scared for Lelouch. Having a mental breakdown wasn't like him. "She understands, I'm sure of it Lelouch." She glanced up at his wry, tired looking face. He just looked at her, not blinking at all, but Kallen realized that his hand was kind of gripping hers, and she soothingly rubbed his in return. "Do you need a break or can you handle going back to the meeting?" She asked, gently.

Lelouch blinked and glanced at Kallen. "I guess I'll go back." He grumbled, using her hand as leverage when he stood, he then helped the girl back onto her feet, "And Kallen?"

"Yes Lelouch?" She turned and faced him, a smile working its way onto her face.

"Thank you."

A/N: I needed to throw some angst in there somewhere…so…lemme say this in advance…I will attempt to update like I have been at least one a day, but don't expect it. I'm back in school now soo…at max, one chapter a week, kay? Thanks for the support!