A/N: I'm sorry this took so long and that it's pretty short. I reached about half way through and hit a road block. I've also been doing a bunch of other writing, some of it being Code Geass one-shots. Thank you very much to all who have reviewed.

I'll go ahead and mention that I have no intention in setting up a love triange with Kotone. She's not going to dissapear from the story entirely, but I don't plan on introducing that element to Gino and Aly's relationship. There is going to be some drama between them later on, but of a different kind.

I hope you enjoy this.

Aly paused mid bow-stroke, setting down her violin in her lap to make a note on her music.

"I haven't heard that one before." She turned at the sound of the deep, bass voice.

"That's because I wrote it. It's my 'Prelude in D minor.'"

"For your big debut as a composer this Christmas?"

"Honestly, father, I'm already quite well-known in the musical circles of the world."

"And at seventeen it's quite a feat." Her father walked over to her, his large build casting a shadow over her. When she was younger, Aly's father had been a pillar of security for her. His skills as a diplomat, already intimidating, were overshadowed by his size. Sir Edvard, who had attended on of the military academies in his youth, was 6'4'' and huge, if actually kind-hearted.

He looked over her shoulder at the sheet music. "Quite impressive. I'm sure the Christmas performance will be fantastic."

"Father-"

He held up a hand. "Aly, I have a favor to ask?"

"Anything, and Dad, I'm sorry. I haven't been telling you nearly as much as I feel...you have the right to know."

He patted her on her back. "It's alright."

She looked up at him. "It is?"

He nodded. "We live a crazy life here, and it would be incredibly hard, and even unwise, to tell me everything. I do sometimes wish we had never left France, where you had a chance of having a normal childhood, but c'est la vie. I do still love you, though, and if you ever need anything-"

"I need you to stay safe, so there's one less person I have to worry about."

He laughed, quietly. "I think I can manage that. Now about this favor. I need you to babysit the Countess Victoria's children."

Aly's eyes widened. "Babysit? I'm not sure I'm the best candidate for that job, Father."

"Nonsense. You can take Gino with you. I'm sure he's great with kids."

Aly's eyes lit up, and she questioned the scarlet-haired four year old. "There is a piano at your house?"

Jessica nodded. "It's in the ball room, but no one here can play it. Grandma could, but she died a few months ago. Why? Can you?"

"Well, I-"

Gino interrupted. "Aly can play the piano. Her favorite instrument is the violin, but she can play piano, and cello, and-"

Aly groaned. "Gino, stop."

"-and bass, and some woodwind instruments."

"Badly, I play woodwinds badly."

Gino nodded, acquiescing, "She plays woodwinds badly, but still well enough to compose, which is still quite a feat." He looked down at Jessica. "And between you and me, her singing isn't half bad either."

"Don't listen to him, Jessica. My singing my be slightly better than average, though Gino's is better still."

Jessica giggled, pointing at Gino, who was turning red. "I—thanks. I didn't know you've heard me singing."

Aly grinned. Gino did try to keep it a secret, but she had mastered the art of being unnoticed when she was little and still used it occasionally. "His voice is a warm baritone that makes you feel all cuddly inside." She reached out to tickle Jessica.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"But its fun."

Jessica poked her. "Aly, can you play the piano for me?"

"Of course. Get the oaf over there to give you piggy-back ride."

Aly slid her hand down the piano keys in a glissando. "This is a nice piano. You said your grandmother played the piano?"

"Yep." Jessica looked down at Aly from Gino's shoulders. "But it's been in my family for awhile."

Aly slid onto the black shiny bench. Her fingers hovered over the keys, her right thumb finally settling on an A. "Do you know the words, Gino?"

"What?"

"Surely you've heard Ito-san rehearse enough times to learn the words."

"I—Aly." Gino looked away at the ground guilty.

Aly smiled, inwardly wishing he would at least sing for her. Winking up at Jessica, who had a frown spreading across her face, she said, "Don't worry. He's just being noble; he thinks his voice should only be used when needed. Now, if you're willing to join me down here, Jessica, I can teach you how to play."

Later, once Jessica had been put to bed, Aly and Gino sat beside each other on a couch, watching the news. "Did you ever find out why the usual nanny couldn't babysit?"

Gino nodded, "Most of the servants here, including the nanny, are Japanese."

"And the Countess doesn't trust them since the rebellion," Aly finished for him.

"Hit the nail on the head. Well done."

She laughed, relaxing and laying her head on one shoulder. The sat their, in silence, watching the television until she thought of another question. "Why didn't you sing?"

"Just...being noble." He tried to pass it off with his laugh.

She sighed. "Gino, I know you just as well as you know me."

"I—old wounds, Aly, just old wounds."

"K-Kotone sang?"

He nodded, miserably. "I'm sorry. It's-"

"It's okay. But we really ought to find her, so you can settle all...this, once and for all."

"Maybe, when all of this is over..."

"'All of this' Gino, we're part of the court. I don't know if any of 'this' will ever be over."

"A guy can hope, can't he?" He bent his neck, awkwardly, to place a kiss on her forehead. "I'll sing for you eventually."

She arched an eyebrow. "Eventually?"

"When your giving birth to our tenth child, naturally."

"Me? Obviously you're the one with the uterus in this relationship."

"I-" Gino stopped, midway through his response. Aly turned to the TV, wide-eyed, the news-anchor describing a hostage situation in Japan. The two watched as one of the news correspondents started detailing the scene.

After the story ended and the news-anchor starting following another story, promising to give the audience updates, Gino stood up. "Aly, I have to go."

She stared up at him. "What? Why? Surely Viceroy Cornelia can handle it."

He shook his head. "Princess Euphemia is in there."

"How do you know?"

"I know Princess Cornelia's tactics. If Princess Euphemia, or another really important person anyway, wasn't in there, the Viceroy would have already attacked."

"I hope the Princess will be alright."

"They'll probably have sorted everything out before I get sent in, but I don't know when I'll see you again and-"

Aly jumped up from the couch and hugged him. After letting go, she addressed him sternly. "Don't worry about me, Gino. Worry about yourself and focus on not getting killed."

He grinned down at her before stealing a kiss. "Like telling me will do any good."

"Recorded."

"Anya! Hi!"

"Gino. It's earlier than you usually get up."

"I-" A large clanging noise reverberated through the hangar. "Crap!" A moment later, Gino jumped out of the Tristan. "Sorry about that. I dropped a wrench."

"It's earlier than you usually get up."

"Oh, that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I couldn't sleep."

"I thought I was the insomniac."

"I just stayed up long enough so I got my second wind."

"I thought we had agreed not to lie to each other."

Gino winced. That was true; when he and Anya became friends, they had agreed they wouldn't lie to each other, even in court when every other word was a lie. The agreement had been especially important to Anya, as she already doubted her own memories. "I-"

"It's okay. I already know that you were worrying about Aly. It's clear the two of you are very much in love with each other. I think Prince Schneizel's foolish to think he can take her away from you."

Gino stared at her, sincerely hoping no one else could read that much into his life. "I-"

"But that's not what I'm here to talk about."

"Oh! Anya, I remember." He started to dig through his pockets, finally bringing out a small slip of paper. "It's a coupon for a local camera shop. I thought we could go there and see if there were any cameras you wanted."

"Recorded."

"Do you want to go? If you give them the coupon, you get to save money."

"You don't need to worry about saving money." Gino shrugged. "Thanks for the offer, but this camera is probably better than everything they have."

"Alright." Gino stretched, working the kinks out of his joints. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I found her."

He blinked. "Who?"

"Kotone."

"How? Where? Why? Did Aly-"

"Aly had nothing to with it. Kotone is in Japan, alive. I found her because her parents have recently died."

"Why?"

Anya shrugged. "I wasn't actively looking for her."

Silence fell over them, which was eventually broken by Anya. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."