Chapter Five: Learn to Do It

Suzaku rolled out of his bed, running a hand through his hair. He yawned, glancing at the clock before groaning. It was far too early to be getting up, but he was sure that he wasn't going back to sleep. Suzaku stumbled across the room to get his clothes, pulling on a pair of jeans and his last remaining clean shirt. He made a face as he pulled it on. He would have to get the rest of his stuff from the barracks as soon as possible, but that would depend on Kallen and Gino if they wanted him to be with Lelouch at all times.

He turned to face the mirror in the room, wincing when he realized that the shirt only covered half of the tattoo on his neck. Suzaku rubbed his hand over the tattoo, wincing before letting it drop. Hopefully it would only be the three of them there today and it wouldn't matter. Only Milly would know what is was, Lelouch would just think that it was a normal tattoo.

He let his hand drop back down to his side, turning around to stare at the door that led to Lelouch's room. Suzaku swallowed and walked over to the door, cracking it open just enough to see that Lelouch was still in his bed, asleep. Suzaku lost his nerve a moment later, letting the door slide shut and running from his room. He couldn't be close to Lelouch right now, not when he was increasingly aware of just how much of the tattoo was showing.

Suzaku walked quickly through the empty house, partially constructing a possible patrol pattern that he could use over the next few days. It would be helpful to relearn the layout of the Ashford mansion in case Nunnally or Lady Marianne came over for a visit. And it would help him with his nightmares, give him something to do other than lie in bed and try to remind himself that it was all over. He knew that it was all over, he just needed the memories to go away completely.

He was distracted from his task when he walked back to the kitchen, tensing as he saw the light from under the closed door. Suzaku glanced back down the hallways before padding forward. He was painfully aware of how vulnerable he was at the moment; his gun had been left at Windsor when he had gone with Gino and Kallen. Their orders had been to pose as common people, although they still carried the IDs that proclaimed Gino and Kallen as knights to Lady Marianne vi Britannia.

Then again, he was probably just overreacting. The Ashfords had a security system for their mansion and a few loyal guards that lived near the gate to the mansion. Besides, they majority of the Ashford fortune was in Britannia, sunk into the scientific facility there. Everyone knew that only Ruben Ashford and his granddaughter lived here, and that Ruben was dedicated to his school.

Suzaku straightened up, easing the door open. He peeked into the kitchen, carefully stepping in when he was sure the coast was clear. That didn't stop him from giving the kitchen a quick look over, freezing when he spotted Milly leaning on the counter. He blushed and ducked his head, barely stopping himself from bowing. Milly didn't hold to the same formality the other nobles did.

She waved him over, patting the stool next to her. "Expecting an attack, Suzaku?"

"Habit." He sat down on the stool, leaning his elbows on the counter as he took a deep breath. He felt Milly place a hand on her back, rubbing between his shoulder blades.

"Is it that stressful?"

"No." Suzaku smiled sadly, looking up at her. "This is probably the least stressful job that I could have."

She pulled her hand back. "Then why do you look like you've gone without sleep for a week?"

Suzaku shrugged. "Other worries." He rubbed his hand over his face. "Little things that shouldn't bother me."

"Then don't let them. I believe it's better to ignore the things that shouldn't bother you and enjoy life."

"You always tell me to enjoy life."

Milly gave him a playful shove. "Because you don't. You just stubbornly do your duty and nothing else. It's not healthy to work all of the time."

Suzaku bit back his first response. Milly didn't need to know that working all the time was the only way he could be happy. Working would lead to him being recognized for his skills rather than for his who his father had been, which would put him in the right position to become Lelouch's knight. It was the only way he could guarantee his own happiness.

He absently reached up to rub his throat, freezing when he felt Milly's gaze on his neck. Suzaku curled his fingers around the visible parts of the tattoo, pressing them harder against his skin as Milly moved closer.

"What is that? Did you get hurt or-" Milly cut herself off, Suzaku flinching as he watched her eyes widen. Everyone knew what happened to him, it didn't take long for most to put two and two together. "Suzaku, I…Let me see."

He didn't have time to jerk back as she leaned over and pulled the collar of his shirt down, peering at his tattoo. Suzaku leaned as far back as she would allow, focusing his gaze on a certain point on the wall, trying not to shift nervously. He should have known better than to draw Milly's attention to the tattoo, especially knowing how curious she was about it. He should have just checked in the kitchen to see why the light was on and moved away.

She let go of his shirt, sitting back in her seat. Her gaze didn't leave his neck, Suzaku shifting nervously in his seat. Milly gave him an odd look before sitting up straight. "Is that all?"

"What?"

"I mean," she gestured at the tattoo, "is that all there is?"

Suzaku traced the tattoo with a finger, clearing his throat. "Yeah."

She hummed, leaned forward onto the counter and staring at the wall. "It's not as bad I thought, ignoring the context. From the stuff I heard about it, I thought it was be more intricate or, you know, more painful."

"It was painful when I was eight." Milly gave him a sidelong glance, Suzaku immediately feeling guilty. It wasn't his place to try to prove that he was something to be pitied. Honestly, he would have preferred if people didn't pity him, there was enough of that in his life.

"So, what are you doing up this early?"

"I could ask the same of you." Suzaku glanced at Milly. "But I was just familiarizing myself with the house again."

"We have our own guards for that."

"Yes but-"

"Suzaku, think of this as practice. A prince and his knight have to be able to trust each other completely. If we put the two of you together, then you'll get to know each other well enough to have that level of trust by the time he's announced as a prince. This is your perfect chance."

Suzaku stared at Milly, wanting to shake his head. What she was saying was the truth, it was the perfect chance to be Lelouch's knight without the pressure of being surrounded by strangers. He was in a familiar environment very close to the best fighters in the country. It would have been completely perfect, save for one thing that nagged him.

"Milly, do you think-"

"It doesn't matter." Suzaku jerked back slightly as he was interrupted, Milly turning to look at him. "It doesn't matter who I think it is. It only matters who you think he is. Do you think he's Lelouch?"

"I…I…"

"You don't know?"

"No." He had almost convinced himself completely that this was the Lelouch that they had been looking for, but that was just his own wishful thinking. Suzaku knew better than to believe his instincts in this case, because they would just be wrong. He was looking for an excuse to believe that this was Lelouch, just like all of the other people they had found before.

"Then we have a problem because, out of everyone, you should know Lelouch the best."

"We were kids."

"That means nothing. You were friends for years, close friends if I heard right."

"He's probably changed."

"Fine then." Milly turned to face him completely. "Convince me why he isn't Lelouch."

Suzaku stared at her, opening his mouth to speak only to snap it shut a moment later. There really was no evidence against the man being Lelouch at this point. In fact there was more for him being Lelouch at this point.

There was the age, the eyes and the resemblance to Marianne, all of those fitting better than any of the others that Suzaku had seen. But then there were the subtle things, the things that he wasn't sure that Kallen and Gino had noticed, mostly because they hadn't been around. The way this Lelouch held himself, just barely slumping his shoulders, like he couldn't bring himself to fully abandon the proper posture. The way that this Lelouch carefully planned out every move, like he was aware of the people watching them. The way that, when this Lelouch started to speak about a topic he felt strongly about, he would start talking with his hands. They were small gestures, but still graceful and quick, miniature versions of the grand gestures that Suzaku had teased his Lelouch about.

The most compelling reason Suzaku couldn't even be sure about, he could have been inventing it for his own sake. It wasn't really evidence at all; it was just a vague feeling, the soft pull towards Lelouch. Like it was the right Lelouch and he subconsciously knew it, which was completely nonsense in his opinion. There was no way for him to know subconsciously, he needed some kind of proof.

Suzaku shook his head, pressing his hands against the counter. "That's just it. There is no evidence against him, yet."

"Aw, why did you have you ruin it?" Milly reached over to give his shoulder a shove. "Why couldn't you be positive about this?"

"It's not the type of thing to be optimistic about. There's too much on the line."

"Hm." Milly leaned forward. "Then why don't you trust Kallen and Gino."

"Because they are relying on me!" Suzaku snapped his mouth shut. Since they weren't able to take Nunnally or Marianne out with them when they looked, they usually had to rely on a description or Suzaku, and he wasn't sure that they could depend on him. He hadn't led anyone astray thus far, but there had never been a physical match for his memory of Lelouch. He leaned forward, running his hand through his hair. "Milly, they shouldn't rely on me."

"Is this about your crush on Lelouch?" Suzaku blushed, that enough to make Milly chuckle. "I don't think it matters to everyone else as much as you think it does."

"It compromises my judgment."

"Since when? Since when has it done that…or is this the first time?" He didn't have to look up at her to know that she was smirking. "Oh, so it is the first time. That's interesting. How long have you known?"

"That I'm attracted to this Lelouch."

"No." Milly laughed and shoved him. "That you liked Lelouch."

Suzaku swallowed. There really hadn't been a moment when the realization struck; it was just something that had happened over time. He had always been determined to find Lelouch and he had always missed Lelouch, but he hadn't come to the conclusion that he had liked Lelouch for a long while. He scratched the back of his neck, giving a helpless shrug.

Milly sighed and patted his shoulder. "Suzaku, it's alright. I don't think anyone will think less of you if you do. People might expect it."

Suzaku hung his head, slipping from his seat on the stool. "I…I'm going to finish my round."

He went to bow; freezing when saw Milly get off of her stool. He quickly stood up and walked away before she could say anything else.

Logically, he knew that she was just trying to help, but it wasn't the kind of help that he wanted. Right now, he wanted desperately to be told that this was his Lelouch, the one that he had been searching for. Then it would be alright to allow himself to just fall so quickly. Then he would be falling for Lelouch instead of some stranger that he felt drawn to.

He reached for his pin, jerking his hand away from his pocket when he realized that it wasn't there. Suzaku glanced up toward his room, panicking for a moment before forcing himself to keep walking. It wasn't that much of a problem, he would just finish his patrol of the house and then go back and get it. He was just jumpy because it had been the first time that he had forgotten his pin in a long time. He could survive the next thirty minutes without it. Suzaku forced himself to keep the same pace as he made his way through the halls, just to prove to himself that he wasn't completely reliant on the pin to keep himself steady.

He would have to give up the pin in the end, even if it was just for a few hours, when he was knighted. Lelouch would have to present it to him officially. And then he would never have to worry about leaving it behind again.

Euphemia got out of the car, waving at her driver before walking up to the front door. She had managed to slip out of Windsor while Nunnally was busy seeing off Marianne and Cornelia. She felt bad for deserting Nunnally, but she had promised Gino that she would see this man that they had brought back and it would give her a chance to see Suzaku for herself.

She hadn't seen him much after he had declined her request to become her knight, not that she blamed him for it. She understood that he had been carefully groomed to become Lelouch's knight before the massacre and that he probably saw himself as Lelouch's knight still, despite the fact that Lelouch was no longer with them. Euphemia had just wanted to give him the chance to be a knight, even if Lelouch was never found.

There was no denying that his refusal had hurt her, because it had felt like he had been refusing her as well. She had thought that there had been something between them, that she had started to draw Suzaku out of his shell. In her more romantic moments, she had believed that he would forget about Lelouch and be happy just being with her. And, perhaps that was what had hurt the most, the realization that she wasn't enough for Suzaku and probably would never be.

Some days she wondered what the two of them could have been if Lelouch had made it out that night. Would they have just been knight and princess or could they have been like Cornelia and Guilford, madly in love with each other? Euphemia thought that, if Lelouch had never disappeared, then Suzaku would have never had the chance to realize how much Lelouch meant to him.

Euphemia shook her head, raising her hand to knock on the door. It wasn't that she didn't want Lelouch to be found. In the end she just wanted Suzaku to be happy, but there was still a part of her that wanted him to be happy with her.

She jumped as the door opened, smiling as she saw that Kallen was standing on the other side. Euphemia stepped into the house, taking off her coat with a relieved sigh. "It's gotten cold."

"It's December, princess."

"I know." Euphy laughed. "But I sometimes forget how cold it can get."

Kallen smiled and gestured towards the interior of the house. "They're in the library, but you could probably just listen for Gino."

Euphemia winced, folding her coat over her arm. "Is it going that bad?"

"I can't tell. I left before Gino could start demonstrating his skill."

She couldn't help herself, she laughed. Euphemia reached out for Kallen's arm to support herself, keeping the knight close as she began to walk further into the house. "What could they be doing?"

"Milly is trying to figure out what she has to work with." At Euphemia's surprised look, Kallen elaborated. "We're giving him the basic education that the imposters got, just to be sure that we're on even ground with him."

"Anything else?"

Kallen shot her a sideways glance. "If we get your approval, we're sending out a DNA test, just to back up our claim and somehow convince Nunnally to see him."

Euphemia smiled, glad that they had planned for some tangible evidence as well as their own convictions. She wasn't sure that it would be enough to make it past Nunnally, especially since Nunnally seemed to have her heart set on moving on.

They headed towards the library, Euphemia raising her hand to cover her mouth as she heard Gino talking loudly about something, the words indistinct from a distance. Euphemia pulled away from Kallen, walking over to the library doors. She stopped herself before she pulled them open, staring at the wood.

Part of her just wanted to turn around and run back to Windsor, not because she didn't believe Gino, but because she was scared of what she would see. There was a small chance that this man really was Lelouch, but there was an even larger chance that it wasn't. The threat of disappointment was enough to make her run away. Euphemia had tried to get out of as many of the interviews as possible for just that reason; she didn't think that she could handle the constant disappointments. Both Nunnally and Marianne were stronger than her for that reason.

She took a deep breath, glancing back at Kallen before opening the doors.

The doors creaked a little, the sound cutting off Gino in the middle of a sentence. Gino gave her a smile and a wave, Milly leaning out to see around him. The two of them were leaning against the liquor cabinet that was on one side of the room, obviously focused on someone on the other side. Euphemia turned her head to look at the other person, catching the man in the act of turning around.

She let go of the doors quickly, backing out into the hall again. Kallen was there to keep her from fleeing, the knight gently taking her arm and leading her back into the library. This time, Euphemia didn't notice Gino or Milly, her gaze was focused entirely on the man standing on near the bookshelves.

He was a perfect physical match for Lelouch, she couldn't deny that. But that wasn't the thing that convinced her, it was the way that he held himself now with his shoulders slightly too far back, his weight rocked back onto his left foot and his whole body tense. It was the perfect imitation of Lelouch when he was wary. Even the way he relaxed was the same; slowly letting his shoulders move forward and shifting forward again, but the tension was still there. That would be the last thing to disappear, once he knew that he was safe.

From the interviews that Euphemia had been unable to avoid, the men had matched physically, but the mannerisms had never been right. They would have had to know Lelouch to know his mannerisms, intimately if they knew him this well. But that was impossible, she had spent almost all of her time with Lelouch when they were kids and had known all of Lelouch's friends back then. She didn't know if someone had become close to Lelouch after he had gone missing, but that didn't make sense. Lelouch would have tried to come back if he was still alive, his sister and his mother were his entire world.

Euphemia took a cautious step away from Kallen, glancing over at Suzaku. To her surprise, Suzaku was standing in a corner, purposefully keeping himself away from Lelouch. Euphemia narrowed her eyes, her shock disappearing. If this really was Lelouch, there would have to be some sign from Suzaku.

She shook her head, walking over to a chair and sitting down, draping her coat over the arm of the chair. Euphemia tried to look stern, but she was sure that she had already given herself away. She cleared her throat, looking over at Gino. "This is him?"

"Yes." Gino bowed, turning to gesture at the man as he stood up. "This is Lelouch."

She jumped at the name, glancing over at Suzaku automatically. The knight ducked his head. "He was given that name, your highness."

Euphemia nodded slowly, watching as Suzaku turned his full attention to Lelouch. She watched the two of them for a moment. She wasn't quite sure she was ready to believe that this was Lelouch, but this was the best one that she had seen. She leaned forward in her seat, smiling at Gino. "I'm impressed, although I didn't expect otherwise. You're right, he's the perfect candidate."

That got the tension to disappear from Lelouch's body. Euphemia stared at him for a moment more before sitting up. Aside from the mannerisms, which could be a coincidence, and the physical appearance, she had no other evidence that this was Lelouch. But there was an instinctual feeling that she couldn't ignore and the fact that there was a promised DNA test. With the backing of royalty, the test wouldn't take too long; the results would be in after a week at most.

She tapped her fingers against the arm of the chair. What she really wanted to do was to pull Suzaku aside and ask him what he thought of the situation, now was not the time for that. She would have to rely on her own decisions then, at least until she could corner Suzaku and talk to him.

The only way she could decide was to speak to him, but she was sure that he knew the interview questions by heart now. Or maybe not. Euphemia tipped her head to the side and stood up, walking over to Lelouch. She hesitated for a moment before curtsying, watching a look of confusion cross his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you again Lelouch."

Lelouch hesitated for a moment before returning her bow, the bow of a subject to a princess. He paused halfway through the motion, frowning before adjusting the depth of the bow. Euphemia wasn't sure whether the adjustment was from the lessons that Milly had been giving him or something that he remembered.

She backed up a few steps, gesturing for Gino to return to her side. "Gino, I'll return at the end of the week to interview him."

"Princess Euphemia I'm sure you'll have enough evidence if you just wait a bit longer."

"It's not from a lack of evidence…at least not in the way you think it is." Euphemia glanced at Lelouch. "I mean, it just seems too easy. He claims to have no memory and suddenly shows up. Gino it's almost too perfect and I just want to know if there's something that we can pull out that will make this all make sense."

"What do you think right now?"

"If I had my choice, I would say he's my half brother right now." Euphemia glanced desperately around the room. "But this is not a fairy tale, Gino. I want to be sure, really sure."

He smiled and bowed. "I understand then. We'll be ready for you."

"And, wait to give me the DNA report until I've spoken with him. I want to convince myself first." Euphemia bit her lip, considering her next words carefully. "If everything turns out alright, then I'll speak to Nunnally. The longer we wait the more stubborn Nunnally will be about it."

"Thank you, Euphemia."

She smiled and patted Gino's arm. "Don't thank me for this, not until we know how it turns out. Until then, it's my job to thank you for doing your duty so well. If this works out the way we want it to, then I don't know how we'll ever be able to repay you."

Euphemia glanced over at Suzaku as she spoke, surprised to see that he had drifted closer to Lelouch while she and Gino were talking. It wasn't enough to show whether Suzaku believed that this was their Lelouch, but it was relief to see that Suzaku was supporting this as well. Euphemia nodded to herself, stepping away from Gino and over to Kallen, giving the group a smile. "I'm sorry to come and go so quickly, but I promised Nunnally a day out together without any clingy guards. I may have to steal Kallen."

Kallen snorted. "I'd volunteer. I have better things to do than to watch Gino pretend to be a prince."

"Hey."

"It's not charming, it's embarrassing." Kallen shook her head. "Gino you flounce."

"I do not!"

"Suzaku?"

"She's right, Gino. You do flounce."

Gino sputtered for a moment, turning to look at Euphemia. "See how they wound me?"

Euphemia giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand. "It's a miracle that you survived two weeks with them, Sir Weinberg. In that case, I'll have to take Kallen with me, to prevent any more harm done to your person."

Gino grinned. "I am honored that your highness would look after my health in such a manner." Gino turned around. "Farewell red-headed temptress, I will suffer under your insults no longer."

Kallen punched his arm, ignoring the long suffering look that crossed Gino's face as she went to stand by Euphemia. "The sooner I get out of this training session, the better."

"Come on then." Euphemia grabbed Kallen's arm with one hand and her coat with the other, throwing a smile over her shoulder at Gino. "I'll return your red-headed temptress after our little girl's day out. Good luck!"

She waved at the four of them as she led Kallen out of the room, her smile wavering as soon as the library doors had shut behind them. Kallen tightened her hold on Euphemia. "You alright, princess?"

"As alright as I can be. It's just a bit of a shock to see…that." Euphemia let go of Kallen's arm, carefully putting on her coat. "I'm sticking by what I said though. This could be the best chance we will ever get. Although I don't think he will be able to stay here if he proves just to be an illegitimate son, it would hurt Marianne and Nunnally too much."

"The name would have to go too."

Euphemia nodded, wincing at the thought. She hoped that Marianne wouldn't push the issue, that just keeping him away from them would be enough, but there was a large chance that it wouldn't work out. But there had to be some part of the man who didn't want to be mistaken for the lost prince forever, especially once he started a new life for himself.

She rubbed her hands together before sticking them in her pockets "And Suzaku?"

"He'd probably go on looking for the rest of his life."

"No. I meant, what does he think?"

Kallen shrugged. "I can't tell. He's alternating between being completely sure and being annoyingly unsure. But, when he thinks no one is looking, they act like the best of friends." She tensed and looked at Euphemia. "Why?"

"Because that will tell us a lot. Suzaku was probably the one who knew Lelouch best out of all of us."

"Or it's something else."

Euphemia shook her head. "For today, can we try to be optimistic? After everything that has happened, I think we need a day to be happy."

It took a moment for Kallen to nod in agreement, the slight moment of confusion on her face telling Euphemia that she might have to explain the political situation to her at some point. Kallen and Gino would definitely be going with Marianne and Nunnally to Pendragon for the wedding as part of their guard. It was only fair to bring them up to speed on the events that would be unfolding after the wedding, and it was far better for them to hear it from Euphemia or Nunnally instead of Empress Evelina.

Euphemia took Kallen's arm again, leading her to the front door of the Ashford mansion. They paused long enough for Kallen to pull on her coat before rushing out to the car. The driver looked surprised to see her back again so quickly, but started up the car.

She laughed as she pulled Kallen into the car, unable to keep herself from smiling. Despite the impossibility of the circumstances, she couldn't stop smiling. Despite the fact that she would have to continue to convince Cornelia to go through with the wedding and try to talk Nunnally into seeing another Lelouch, she felt that there was nothing that could ruin her day.

They had found someone who could be Lelouch.

Mao swung the door shut and set down his bag, stretching his arms above his head. While planes were the fastest manner of transport, he preferred trains. At least on trains he could move around and, possibly, stretch out. Planes he was stuck in one position for hours on end next to people he'd rather not associate with. The only one who had made travelling on planes worth it before was C.C.

He slumped at that, glancing around the small room that he had been given. At least with C.C, the hours on the plane went by quickly, either by the conversations that they had or the hours that he could spend in her presence. But the Geass Order had never sent them on too many missions together for reasons that Mao had never been able to figure out. If C.C. had been the one who was giving him his orders, it would have made sense for her to go with him to see that he was doing his job right.

Then again, many things that the Geass Order had told him hadn't made sense. He still didn't know why they had killed C.C. or why they had given her someone else to look after.

He clenched his hands into fists, forcing himself to relax a moment later. The Geass Order didn't matter now, they were all dead. What they had been working for didn't matter to him any longer either; he had only been there for C.C.

C.C. had found him as an orphan on her way back from one of her missions, the one that had taken her to England. He didn't know much about his life before she had found him, only that he had been an orphan in the Chinese Federation. She had lived with him there for a year before bringing him to the Geass Order.

He had joined the order eight years later as an assassin at the insistence of some of the other members. Mao remembered half of them insisting that he pull his weight instead of being just another mouth to feed. Some of the others told him that it was the right way to prove his love to C.C, by dedicating himself to the cause she fought for. But she was never there long enough for him to show her that he truly loved her.

C.C. was never at the headquarters, something about having done something that had angered the men who ran the Geass Orders. Mao couldn't quite understand why they were so mad. Suzaku Kururugi had proved to be completely useless for their cause while he had been very useful. He was the one who followed orders without question and who never got caught. He was the one who managed to come in under his budget every time. His kills were clean and quick; Mao only lingered over his assignments when he was given express permission. It was incomprehensible to mourn over the loss of a useless boy when Mao had fallen into their laps.

So he had carried on, to prove to C.C. that he believed in her cause and that he would do anything for her. He didn't care what the cause was exactly or why it had involved killing people. All that mattered was that it was for C.C.

Even this mission was for C.C. It was to kill the boy that had gotten her killed. The fact that it involved revenge just sweetened the deal.

Mao picked up his bag, walking over to the bed and sitting down on it. He stared at the ceiling as he fished around for his cell phone, wanting to check on the transfer of funds. For a moment, he fumbled with it, not quite used to the new phone. His old phone was in some trashcan in Japan, near the house of one of the assassins that the Geass Order had used, the one that Mao had felt had gotten too big for himself.

He played with the settings for a while, smiling when he saw that things had gone through. With the money that he had gotten, partially from his own account and partially from the account of the Geass Order, he would have enough to get him through a year or two before he had to take another job. Mao was not confident that the same accounts would be open to him within the next two years. But he was sure that he would not be stalking the same boy in the next two years.

Mao tossed the phone onto the bed, rolling onto his side and staring at the window. He planned to go out and get the lay out of the city later, when he was sure that he would be taken as a tourist. He even had a camera to play the part. The city would be his limit today, just to be sure that he could get around here and to establish a few good escape routes. He would wait until later to search for where the boy would have been taken. Searching the grounds of the royal household would be more difficult and require more patience; he would wait until he hadn't been on a plane for hours to do that.

Satisfied with his plan, Mao smiled, letting an arm dangle off of the bed. Despite being tired from the flights and the time changes, he wouldn't let himself sleep. He needed to get adjusted to his new time, which was another reason to keep his roaming to a minimum today. Only the worst assassins rushed the job.

He slipped from the bed, forcing himself to start unpacking a few things to keep up appearances. They were nonessential things, just clothes that he could replace at any time. The more important things he would keep in his bag and ready to go if he was forced to run. Mao smoothed out a shirt in a drawer, staring at it.

If he had to run, his hide away options were low. In fact, it would be best if he avoided all of the old hideouts, in case the other members of the Geass Order talked. He huffed; annoyed at the work it would take. Finding a new hideout in case he had to retreat should have been the first thing he had done instead of chasing after the boy and his three guards, but Mao hadn't been willing to risk the chance of losing them. And he didn't have the time now, he didn't know if the boy would be moved again or if the protection around him would increase. Seeing as the boy had been taken by knights of the royal family, Mao was certain that there would only be fragments of time when he could get the boy alone.

Mao sighed, stepping away from the drawers and staring at the pile of clothes. It would have to do for now and, for the next job, he would have all the hard work set up for him. This one he would just settle for a rushed job, which wouldn't matter in the end. All of his best jobs were ones that he had rushed, using split second decisions and the passion of the moment. His only regret would be that he wouldn't get the time to talk to the boy, to make him realize that he had brought his own end on him.

He stared at the floor for a moment before brightening. Mao was going to have to be careful anyway when it came to getting to the boy, and it would have been better if he could get the boy away from his guards. This would involve two plans then. His first plan, his ideal plan, would be to steal the boy away from his guards and take his time with the kill, make sure the boy knew what was happening and why it was happening. Maybe, if he was lucky enough, he could break the boy before the kill. He had always liked knowing that his victims weren't even going to try to run anymore. His second plan would be the quick kill, the one he would use if he was running out of time. There would be no sense of accomplishment or victory in it, but Mao would accept it for C.C's sake.

Sure of himself, Mao settled back on the bed, sitting up so he knew that he wouldn't fall asleep. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at the thought of confronting his prey. There would be a bit of trouble in breaking him completely, especially since all the records that Mao had on the boy just said that he was a orphan without his memory past a certain age, but maybe Mao could trigger something. His smile broadened at the thought of the boy sobbing as he held a gun to his head.

Mao shivered and looked at the clock, disappointed to see that the hour he had given himself to get settled was up. Now he would tour the city before it got too dark and he was too tired to be on his guard. He had hoped to have a more finalized plan before he headed out, but a vague outline would do. He would expand on his plan when he got more information, a far better method than just sticking to a plan based on outdated information.

C.C. would have been proud to see how much he had grown from the fumbling young assassin.

Mao hummed to himself as he gathered up his stuff, slinging his camera around his neck as the final part of his disguise. Feeling suitably prepared, he walked out of the hotel room, not bothering to hide the smile on his face or the bounce in his step. It was the first burst of happiness he had had since C.C. had been killed and he wasn't about to let it get away from him.

Somewhere his victim was waiting, completely unaware that Mao was coming after him, and that made Mao want to laugh in delight. Somewhere his victim was gathering together a whole world that could be used against him and taken away in an instant, just like Mao's had. It was nothing less than the perfect revenge.

Lelouch looked up when the door between his room and Suzaku's creaked open a bit more. He smiled, at the sound of hesitant footsteps. He shut the book and turned around in the chair, not surprised to see Suzaku peering into the room.

The guard blushed and took a step back. "I wasn't expecting the door to be open."

"Well, you are acting as my guard. Why would I make it harder for you to watch me?" Lelouch smirked, leaning back as he watched Suzaku inch back into the room. "Besides, you were the only one not tormenting me all day. If it were Gino or Milly, that door would be shut."

"It couldn't have been that bad."

"I lost count of how many times I had to bow, in general, not just the specific ones. My back still aches." He swallowed at the worry that Suzaku's face. "I'm sure that this will be the least of my worries, especially with the pace that Milly is setting."

"Well, we do have a week, so she's right to push." Suzaku walked completely into the room, coming to stand beside Lelouch's chair. "But I'm sure that we could tell her to tone it down. Milly does tend to get excited about these things."

Lelouch waved him away. "I can handle this."

"If you're sure." Suzaku kneeled beside his chair, leaning on the arm rest.

Lelouch found himself leaning close to Suzaku. He shifted in his seat but didn't pull away; it made sense to talk to Suzaku like this instead of leaning away from him. Lelouch allowed his book to slip through his fingers, not bothering to mark his page. It was just a book on history and he already knew the history of Britannia, there were just some minor additions that were new to him, mostly about the royal family. But it wasn't enough to catch his attention; it was just something to keep him entertained until he felt like going to bed. On the other hand, Suzaku's presence was enough to command his full attention.

He laughed. "Of course I'm sure. It's just etiquette training and memorization."

"You don't know Milly then. I'm sure this will be worse than my training."

Lelouch snorted. "It couldn't have been that bad."

Suzaku opened his mouth to speak, but shut it a moment later, shaking his head. Instead he just scooted closer to the chair, patting the arm. "Listen, feel free to tell Milly to back off."

"And you'll back me up as my guard?"

"And fight to defend your honor, if the situation calls for it."

Lelouch laughed, leaning forward so he could look Suzaku in the eye. "I would back you against Gino, but Milly might be another thing altogether." He was expecting a witty come back from Suzaku, but he was distracted by the hints of red he could see above the collar of Suzaku's shirt. Lelouch narrowed his eyes and leaned further over, aware that Suzaku was leaning away from him. "Is that…"

He couldn't quite make out the shape, but as Suzaku leaned back and pulled up the collar of his shirt, Lelouch got the impression of a V shape. He almost leaned forward to get a better look, but Suzaku's terrified expression stopped him. Lelouch rocked in place for a moment before slipping out of his chair and sitting on the ground. "What is that?"

"It's nothing." Suzaku pulled the collar of his shirt up, pressing it against his neck. He flinched back when Lelouch reached his hand up, intending to pull the shirt away from Suzaku. "Absolutely nothing!"

Lelouch started at Suzaku before pulling his hand away, using that as his sign of surrender. He settled on the floor, watching as Suzaku adjusted his shirt, pulling it up so the shape was hidden. Lelouch sighed, glancing up at where the book was. He could just go back to reading the book and pretend that this had never happened, but he wanted to push, this one time.

He wanted to say that it wasn't nothing, but that would have just complicated the issue. Suzaku responded better to uncomplicated things, probably because he didn't feel that he would get himself trapped with his own explanations. Lelouch wasn't quite sure what that said about Suzaku's intelligence over all, but he had seen glimpses of brilliance. He shook his head, rocking back a bit. Threatening Suzaku would do no good; he was a soldier first and foremost and would respond to threats in the manner that he was trained in. That didn't leave him anything other than a direct confrontation.

Lelouch hid his disgust at having to stoop to an inelegant method, forcing himself to speak before Suzaku walked away. "I doubt that it's that bad. You seem ashamed enough about it. What is it, some stupid decision that you made when you were younger? A sign of rebellion?"

His easy acceptance of whatever the mark was made Suzaku relax a bit. Suzaku's grip loosened on his shirt, but not enough to fully reveal the mark again. Instead of the immediate answer that Lelouch expected, Suzaku gave a dry laugh. "Yeah, it's just a stupid decision from my childhood."

Lelouch barely had time to process that, Suzaku standing up to leave. Without thinking, he reached up to grab onto Suzaku's arm. He stared at where his hand had closed around Suzaku's arm, hesitating for a moment before using the hold to haul himself upright, delaying the moment when he would have to answer for his action.

As soon as he was on his feet, Lelouch let go, glancing back at the door between their rooms. "Stay. I will make that an order if I have to."

He turned and walked back to his chair and sat down, retrieving his book. Lelouch didn't start reading, waiting for the sound of Suzaku leaving the room. He was surprised when Suzaku just walked back around to the front of the chair, staring at Lelouch.

"Would you?"

"Are you demanding something of me?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm expected to play the part of a prince and I need the practice."

"You're not playing a part."

"That's what it feels like to me." Lelouch held up a hand when Suzaku went to speak. "I'm still just an orphan from Tokyo, that's all that I have. Even if, by some miracle, I am this lost prince, all I'll remember is being an orphan."

"But, you'll get your memories back. Right?"

The hopeful look on Suzaku's face made him sigh, Lelouch reaching up to rub his forehead. "I don't know, Suzaku."

He didn't know why that made Suzaku look so distressed, but he decided to ignore the expression in favor of opening his book and pretending that he was reading. After a long moment of silence, he sighed and closed the book, using his finger to mark the place. "I have no idea if I will ever get everything back but I can assure that that I will play my part to the fullest."

"That's not what we're asking of you." Suzaku leaned forward, Lelouch having to press himself back against the back of the chair. He glanced down at where Suzaku's hands were clutching the armrests before meeting Suzaku's gaze. "We're asking to see if any of this seems familiar to you, familiar enough to say that you are the lost prince. Even if you are proven to be the lost prince and it doesn't feel right no one will force you to stay."

Lelouch stared at him, surprised at the chance to get out. Not only had these people offered him a better life but they were offering a way out, or at least Suzaku was. He narrowed his eyes, considering the offer for a moment before shrugging. "I can't just will them back."

"I know." Suzaku shifted uncomfortably before taking a step back. "I guess we're all hoping that you can get some of them back, something impressive enough to further prove yourself. That's why I-"

Suzaku snapped his mouth shut, Lelouch staring at him. He dropped the book into the chair, standing up as Suzaku backed away. "Why would they specify you?"

Suzaku hung his head, backing up until he had to sit down in the other chair, Lelouch the one looming over him now. He looked up at Lelouch briefly before running his hands through his hair. "I was Lelouch's best friend when we were kids. I guess they think that there'll be some kind of connection or that I'll spark a memory or something." Suzaku sank back into the chair. "Or they're just trying to keep me happy."

Lelouch took a step back so he was no longer looming. He decided to ignore the last comment, not sure how that was related to him at all. But the other revelation was intriguing. Lelouch expected more of a reaction to the announcement than just interest; it was just another piece of information about Suzaku, like how Suzaku had some kind of tattoo on his neck.

He sighed, going back to his chair and sitting down. He didn't think that just having Suzaku around would work to bring back his memories; he never knew what was going to trigger them. All he got when Suzaku was around was a mess of feelings, most of which he wasn't sure if they came from his past or if they came from his short time of knowing Suzaku. Lelouch was ready to admit that he did enjoy Suzaku's company, that it felt comfortable, but how familiar it felt was probably something to do with his past and he didn't quite know why.

He heard the chair creak as Suzaku stood up, jerking his head up. "Wait. I-" Lelouch swallowed, quickly readjusting his statement. "I should probably get used to you hanging around all of the time."

Suzaku stared at him for a moment before nodding and sinking back into the chair. Lelouch watched him carefully, only reaching for the book as soon as he was sure that Suzaku wouldn't be leaving the room again. For now, Lelouch would be content with that and not delve into why he wanted Suzaku around. That could be left for when he had time to think instead of when he was trying to memorize history and relearn etiquette.

Lelouch opened the book again, finding himself settling easily into the companionable silence between him and Suzaku. The only sound that broke the silence was the rustle of the turning pages. Lelouch applied himself for a few more pages before beginning to sneak glances at Suzaku, surprised to see that the guard didn't seem bored by being told to stay while Lelouch continued to read. Lelouch smiled to himself and lowered his eyes back to his book.