Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass and I don't have a snappy answer to go with it.
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It was staring to get late as Lelouch sat out on his balcony reading, the sun finally fading over the horizon.
Dinner had been simple and unusually quiet without Kit. Lelouch and Leon had talked, but it was missing Kit's squeaky interjections and laughter.
So after dinner Leon had gone up to his office to do some simple work, Lelouch went outside and sat on his balcony, beginning the book that he had borrowed two days before.
He felt comfortable as he stretched out on the swing, the breeze gently rocking it back and forth as he read peacefully, becoming immersed in the book.
"So this is where you've been hiding huh?" came a familiar voice.
But it wasn't Leon.
Lelouch looked up from his book to see Suzaku, of all people looking down at him.
"I heard you ended up at the sanctuary. What are you doing here?" Lelouch asked sitting up.
"I got kind of overwhelmed by the other kids. I guess Mr. Berkenbridge called and asked if I wanted to come here. So I agreed." Suzaku admitted with a shrug. "Can I……?" he motioned to the now empty spot beside Lelouch.
"Go ahead, it's not like we're still enemies." he said, then he paused. "We're not right?"
"No. I'll admit, not all is forgiven, but most is." Suzaku admitted with a smile, sitting down beside him. "I mean, Euphie's alive, isn't she? I can't forgive you for everything, but I've at least forgiven you for a lot."
"Why thank you Suzaku." said Lelouch with a smile and a small mock bow. "I say we just forget almost everything that ever happened, and find a way to smile about what happens now."
Suzaku starred at him strangely.
"What? Why are you starring?" Lelouch asked. "Is it my hair? It wasn't my choice honest!"
Suzaku suddenly laughed.
"You're smiling!" Suzaku laughed. "You're happy! I don't remember the last time you were like this! But yes, your hair is kind of funny."
"Alright! That's it!" Lelouch laughed back, then he tackled Suzaku, sending them both tumbling to the floor where they laid laughing continuously as they starred up at the star laden sky together.
"Am I the only one confused by this whole place?" Suzaku finally managed to ask after the laughter subsided.
"No, I'm pretty confused too." Lelouch admitted. "Trust me, this place get's stranger and stranger every day, and I get weirder and weirder."
"Oh? Other than the haircut you mean?"
Suzaku laughed as Lelouch smacked him on the chest.
"I was kidding!" he laughed in his defense. "I didn't mean it! I was kidding! Anyway, why are you getting weirder?"
"I've been acting pretty childish lately, and the other day, we went to the aquarium, and thanks to Kit, I ended up compairing myself to a cuttlefish. We have a lot more in common than you'd think."
"What the hell's a cuttlefish?"
"I don't know, it's related to the squid though." Lelouch shrugged.
"Related to the squid? And you were compairing yourself to it? You really are getting weird."
"And what about you Mr. Knight? What have you been up to?"
"Other than protecting Nunnally and falling into depression, nothing much. Nothing much at all." he said with a tiny nod.
"Falling into depression huh? How'd the world end up?"
"Peaceful for the time being. Happy. The world's finally been united. The racism is slowly disappearing. The world's become a much better place."
"Without me in it." Lelouch finished.
"Maybe so, but you helped make it what it is today. Now granted you used some seriously unconventional methods, but…….. At least things are finally piecing themselves back together."
"As are we."
"Apparently." agreed Suzaku. "Now, do you usually sit on the ground and stare at the sky for no reason here?"
Lelouch sat up with a chuckle.
"Leon asked me the same exact question when he found me laying in the yard in the rain at ten o'clock at night.
"You were sitting in the rain?" Suzaku asked curiously as he sat up as well.
"Yeah, I even managed to catch a little cold from it, but……. It was well worth it."
"Do you like it here?"
"This is home now. With Leon and Kit, and the Ashtor brothers."
"Mr. Ashtor has brothers?"
"Yeah, there are three of them." Lelouch explained. "Leon, Travis and Cameron."
"How did they put up with him?"
"With who?"
"Cameron, that man's a nasty, grouchy jerk." said Suzaku. "It's apparently so usual, that the little kids tell him to be quiet and go away because he ruins the good mood in the house."
"Well Leon Ashtor said that Cameron used to be happy. I guess he's just gone down hill in the last couple of years. I don't know though, I haven't met him yet. I haven't even seen Midnightstar sanctuary yet."
"It's a beautiful place, and a wonderful home, don't get me wrong, I really like it there. I think I just got really overwhelmed by all of the kids. There are thirty kids that live in the house, then there's like another fifteen or so that are old enough they live on their own and they're married which means there's even more because of in-laws, and they all just happened to be visiting on the day I arrived."
"I remember Leon saying that they like to try and welcome people into the family, but they forget that not everyone can handle them all at once. Which is exactly why I stayed here!" he said honestly.
"I did make a new friend though. Unfortunately she drools on the pillow every now and then." said Suzaku with a chuckle.
"Please tell me you're talking about an animal." said Lelouch looking at him strangely.
"Of course I am." said Suzaku with a laugh. "Actually she insisted on coming with me."
Lelouch looked through the door to see a ball of white fur with piercing amber eyes starring at him.
Unfortunately they were eyes that were much like Malachai's which sent shivers up Lelouch's spine.
"This is Jurri. She's an arctic wolf." said Suzaku, patting his lap.
Jurri stood up revealing all of the white fluff in a stunning way as she ran over to Suzaku and jumped into his lap, licking his face, making him laugh as he hugged her tightly.
"Don't ask where she came from. Mr. Midnightstar's got a lot of strange creatures. It's like the place is half foster home, half animal sanctuary. You should see what he insisted on bringing here for you."
Lelouch gulped. "Do I want to know?"
"His name is Aldair and he's something very different." said Suzaku, ruffling the fur on Jurri's cheeks and kissing her nose. "Why don't you go get Aldair Jurri?"
The wolf let out a small howl.
"Go get Aldair and bring him in here." said Suzaku.
Lelouch watched as Jurri jumped out of Suzaku's lap, trotting over to the closed bedroom door.
She stood on her hind legs, wrapped her paws around the knob and turned it, before nudging the door open with her nose and running out.
"Wow, smart wolf." said Lelouch starring.
"There's a lot of very strange, very intelligent animals in that place."
"Like what?"
"Mr. Midnightstar has a white tiger that's very faithful to him. Her name's Sapphire and the little kids love to play with her."
"Please tell me that whatever you brought won't eat me."
"Well if I remember right, normally they shouldn't even have teeth. Aldair on the other hand has quite a bite."
"Great, but will he eat me?"
"I highly doubt it, he could, but I don't think he would." admitted Suzaku with a shrug. "He's some weird genetic mutation experiment kind of thing. He's really nice though. He said he doesn't like the taste of humans."
Lelouch starred. "What do you mean 'he said'? Mr. Midnightstar?"
"No, Aldair. He said he prefers chicken nuggets and French fries and his favorite snack is chocolate covered ants."
"And you thought I was crazy?" Lelouch sighed laying on his back, starring at the sky again.
"I'm not crazy. He talks." said Suzaku.
Lelouch became curious when he saw Suzaku turn towards the door and smile. At the same time he heard a very nasty growl.
"Hi Aldair. Glad you could join us." said Suzaku cheerfully.
"And I suppose this is Lelouch?" came a deep voice with a British accent.
Lelouch was about to sit up when he felt something step over him and stick a long tubular nose in his face as it sniffed him making him cry out in alarm.
"What is this thing?!" he yelped, sitting up.
"This is Aldair." said Suzaku as if it was nothing.
"Yes, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me a 'thing.' I do have a name after all."
"Holy shit it talks!" Lelouch gasped, pushing himself back against the railing.
"I told you I wasn't crazy." said Suzaku scratching behind Jurri's ears. "He's a genetically mutated anteater that Mr. Midnightstar rescued from a lab overseas somewhere."
He was also the source of the nasty growl.
"At least he can't bite." Lelouch muttered.
"Don't be so sure about that." Aldair said cheekily
Lelouch watched with wide eyes as the anteater pointed his nose up towards the sky before it split apart revealing plenty of long, sharp, menacing, and moving fangs in a nasty, monster like roar, making Lelouch scream a little.
"Okay, he can bite. Please don't bite me." Lelouch muttered.
"I don't eat humans, they taste terrible. Trust me, I know." Aldair chuckled.
"What the hell is wrong with this family?" Lelouch sighed. "Everyday I discover something new that scares the crap out of me."
Suzaku just laughed a little. "He's your new friend Lelouch. Mr. Midnightstar figured he would be one of the few minds that would be able to match wits with you."
"You don't drool on the pillows do you?" Lelouch asked with a very weak smile.
"I can." said Aldair opening his mouth a little to reveal drool and half digested ants dripping off of his teeth.
"That's nasty." Suzaku said looking away.
"No joke." sighed Lelouch.
"I don't drool on the pillows. I promise." said Aldair. "But I can't guarantee that I won't hog your bed."
"Fantastic, then maybe I should get to bed before you take up the entire thing." said Lelouch, standing up and brushing himself off. "Are you here for the night Suzaku?"
"I'm here for a few days." said Suzaku standing up as well.
"Then I guess I'll see you in the morning."
"Okay. Goodnight Lelouch." said Suzaku walking towards the door.
"Goodnight Suzaku."
After Suzaku had left the room Lelouch closed the door to the balcony before changing to go to bed.
"You're one strange creature." Lelouch sighed, looking at Aldair who was already laying on his bed.
"Of course I'm strange. I don't even know why I talk!" Aldair said as Lelouch climbed under the blankets beside him.
"I don't either but now I'm finding Mr. Malachai somewhat normal."
"Oh, master Malachai always was a bit weird. That's why I'm this way."
Lelouch looked at him. "What? Mr. Malachai experimented with genetic mutation?"
"No, I was Master Malachai's first experiment with creation when he was ten."
"Come again?" said Lelouch confused.
"He was given a chance to experiment with creation when he was little, I was the result. I was almost destroyed immediately, but he promised the high council I'd behave myself. SO they let me exist."
"So the whole genetic mutation thing?"
"I was found in a lab overseas." said Aldair honestly.
"Right, so I'm now sharing my bed with an angelic creation gone wrong?"
"He was ten, he didn't know that anteaters didn't have teeth. He didn't know they were about half my size either." Aldair shrugged. "Now go to sleep. It's late."
"You're not my mother."
"No but I am you're elder. I'm nearly over fifty."
Lelouch was about to say something, but then he thought better of it, and he just rolled over, closed his eyes, and let himself drift off to sleep, Aldair quietly sleeping behind him, his long nose resting on Lelouch's shoulder for the rest of the night.
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Ginger:Okay chapter 14. I love Aldair, he's one of my favorite creations, I got the idea watching kingdom hospital. For those of you that don't know what that is, look up kingdom hospital and 'antubis.' It's some Stephen king show. Anyway, my usual thanks that goes out to my four favorite readers, :Digidreamer, Mirdorchi_chan, one sided pancake, and imaginedreams22. And if anyone has any confusion, feel free to ask. And no several reviews does not annoy me! They make me very happy to continue!