a/n Sorry, I'm sorry I'm so so sorry. TT_TT I got sick several weeks ago and got lazy up till now. I'm sorry.
I don't own.
Chapter 16 ~Cera Chloe~
"C.C…. Open the door, darling. Mommy is here."
"Mother, please. Don't say it like that."
"What? I'm not Mommy?"
Lelouch sighed for the hundredth time, "Mother, please read the situation."
"C.C.! OPEN THE DOOR!!!" Came the loud voice of Kouzuki Kallen.
"Kallen, no need to scream. I can hear you." The flat voice of the green haired emerged from inside the room.
"THEN OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" Kallen banged on the white wooden door.
"God, back off, woman." Lelouch pushed the redhead away, "C.C., I'm coming in."
"IT WAS NOT LOCKED?!" Kallen screeched .
"No one ever said it was." Gino said shrugging.
Lelouch ignored the loud yelling of Kallen and proceeded to sit next to his lover.
"Are you okay?"
"What do you think?"
Lelouch sighed and pulled C.C. the green haired enigma in to a hug, "Mind telling me what happened? That was the first time I saw you so angry…"
C.C. sighed but kept her silence.
"C.C., you need to tell me what's wrong. They're your parents, shouldn't you at least greet them?" Lelouch asked as he stroked C.C.'s green hair.
"Lelouch. They threw me away, why should I even speak to them?" C.C. said spitefully.
Lelouch sighed and recalled the events just moments ago.
"Your Highness, it's nice to meet you. We are her parents."
"How dare you claim that…" C.C. said darkly.
"Cera, darling, what's the matter?"
"HOW DARE YOU CLAIM THAT YOU'RE MY PARENTS WHEN YOU SOLD ME THIRDTEEN YEARS AGO?!!! YOU LIED TO ME! I NEVER HAD PARENTS, ESPECIALLY ONES LIKE YOU! LEAVE!!!" C.C. screamed at them, surprising everyone in the area, especially her fiancée.
"Cera, dear… We are your parents…" The man said furrowing his eyebrows,
"Stop calling me that! My name is C.C.! And you're not my parents!!!" C.C. screamed, stomped away and slammed the door to her room.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" came the roaring voice of Charles came in.
"Father… Uh, these are C.C.'s parents…" Euphy said gesturing to the man and woman, "They came looking for her but the girl in question…"
Charles looked around and did not see a head full of green hair, "Where is she?"
"She snapped and went to her room." Euphy answered him.
"Oh my, that's no good! I'll go check up on her!" Marianne said cheerfully skipping away.
Charles sneered at the pair, "Come with me."
Lelouch raised his eyebrows at his father but kept his silence, instead he decided to go question his girlfriend.
"C.C…. I know you hate them for dumping you but—"
"But what? Are you seriously asking me to go and talk to them?" C.C. asked disbelievingly.
"Well… no… But at least tell me what is going on? Why are they here if they didn't want you?" Lelouch asked C.C. or rather, he was questioning himself. Why? Why would someone who dumped you thirteen years ago come to your doorstep?
"It's obvious, isn't it? News about us is all around the TV, newspaper articles, magazines and radio broadcasts. They're bound to hear about it. I'm sure they didn't expect the daughter they threw away thirteen years ago to emerge in the circle of royals." C.C. said smiling bitterly.
"So they're here for some easy cash, huh? No way that's ever happening…" Lelouch said tightening his grip on C.C.'s bandaged shoulder.
"Lelouch-sama, C.C.-sama, His Majesty is requesting your presence in the study." Sayako said as she knocked on the white door of C.C.'s room.
The two looked at each other confused.
What now?
Charles cleared his throat and looked at the two teens sitting opposite of him, "I spoke to your parents."
C.C.'s face harden, "And?"
"Well… I was told something rather odd…" Charles said unsure of his own words.
"Something rather odd?" Lelouch asked his father, now that was rather… odd.
"Yes. My first conclusion as to why they are here would be because of your… relationship. And that they wanted their share of cash… But…" Charles paused and gave them a thoughtful look.
"Before I continue, tell me, how did your parents treat you?"
"What?" C.C. asked dumbly.
"Do you still remember how they treated you when you were still a part of their lives?" Charles asked.
"No, not really… I was only three but… I do remember something… We weren't your average family, if you'd call us one." C.C. said looking away.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Lelouch asked concerned.
"Mark, my… father, was a former nobleman. He lost his title because he was caught conning someone. He lost his heritage and well, sank. He ended up gambling and losing money. My mother Mira was no better, because she stuck with my so called father she also sank along. That was probably the reason why they decided to sell me. I was a burden…" C.C. said stoically.
Lelouch sighed and hugged C.C., careful not to hurt her head or shoulder. "You're not a burden anymore, you're not…"
C.C. sighed and leaned into the warm embrace.
Charles coughed and got the attention of both teens, "Ahem… they didn't abuse you or anything, correct?"
C.C. shook her head, "They didn't even bother to properly feed me."
Charles had a complicated look on his face, "Then why would they ask for you?"
"Eh?"
Charles thought for a moment, "Yes, they clearly said that they didn't want money or anything. They only wanted you to come home…"
C.C.'s white face twisted in an odd way, unable to speak while Lelouch sat there with his mouth gaping.
"I didn't give them a clear answer yet, for I wanted to enquire certain things first." Charles had a contemplative look on his face.
"You're not actually planning to agree on letting them take her, are you?! God knows what they'll do to her!" Lelouch said.
Charles placed a hand to his chin, "They clearly wanted her back, they turned down any other offer I gave them… I suggest you to go with them first, find out what they want… I'll have some people check up on them."
"Cera, dear! You came back!" Mira said happily as she went to hug the green haired girl who turned rock stiff.
It was one to be hugged by the women who will be your mother-in-law, it was definitely another thing to be hugged by the woman you was the mother who threw you away for money.
"Aren't you going to greet us, Cera?" Mark asked his daughter.
C.C. looked away and forcefully muttered, "Mother… Father…"
Mark placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder and gave a smile to the raven haired prince, "Thank you, Your Highness, for returning our daughter to us."
Lelouch gave them a fake smile, "It's a pleasure. C.C. …"
The lime head practically pounced on the Black Prince the moment he called her, "What?"
"Here… A new one, since you broke yours last time. If you need anything, the speed dial of my number is zero." Lelouch whispered to his fiancée as he handed her a black mobile.
C.C. silently nodded and took the mobile before giving him a 'please help me look'.
Lelouch sighed before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek, "I'll come back…"
As soon as the prince left C.C. turned around to face the two most despised person in her life.
Mira smiled sweetly at her, "Cera dear, come sit!"
Grudgingly, the green haired girl obeyed and sat down.
"How did you meet such a fine you man? Sure it was hard for you to catch such a big fish! A prince even! Now you'll live a good life now, won't you?" Mira said still smiling.
C.C. felt very uncomfortable with the situation she's currently in, What do they want?
"Well that's too bad, Cera… You're not seeing that prince anymore." Mark said smiling as of what he said is a normal thing.
C.C. opened her mouth to tell them to mind their own business but received a very hard and stinging slap, courtesy to Mira.
"You think you can say anything? We all fell down the cliff so we are going down together. There is no net to save you." Mira said still smiling.
"You both fell, I was just thrown away to the dumpster." C.C. spat before receiving another slap.
"You shouldn't talk back to your parents, Cera. It's rude… You need to be straightened up through punishments." Mark said smiling.
C.C. cursed and tried to press the speed dial zero to call for help. But before she could even snap the phone open it was sent flying to the other side of the tiny living.
"Like I said, you are not seeing that prince anymore. You should obey your parents, Cera. You really need to be punished." Mira said wagging her finger.
"Now how should we punish you…?"
"Say, Lelouch, it's been two days since C.C. went back and it's been two days since we saw her. She didn't even go to school. I have a bad feeling about this, she hasn't even recover from the previous… incident." Kallen said worriedly as she munched on the school cafeteria food.
"Something must be up." Euphy added while nudging Lelouch's arm.
"I told her to call if there's anything… And well, she hasn't." Lelouch said thoughtfully.
"What if she lost the phone?! What if it broke again?! WHAT IF THEY BEAT HER UP? WHAT IF—"
"WHAT IF YOU SHUT UP?!" Lelouch screamed at the redhead.
"AREN'T YOU CONCERNED FOR YOU FIANCEE'S WELLBEING???" Kallen screamed at the raven haired prince while towering over him.
Lelouch grunted, it's true that he misses her. Normally they'd spend the whole day together, breakfast together, going to school together, lunch together, going home together, dinner together. For heaven's sake they even sleep together now!
Truth to be told, Lelouch is lonely, very, VERY lonely.
"Yes, yes, I'm concerned. Let's go."
"But it's lunch time." Suzaku pointed out.
"Who cares?! LET'S GO! GINO! GO!" Kallen commanded her boyfriend.
Gino stood up and saluted, "ROGER!!!"
Lelouch looked at the retreating two, "That's not the way…"
Kallen flushed and huffed, "W-Well lead the way, butthead!"
Lelouch stood up and sighed, "Alright, alright, follow me."
Euphy tugged on Suzaku's school jacket, "Do you think we'll need weapons or anything?"
Suzaku titled his head to think before smiling at the strawberry haired princess, "I got my gun right here, Euphy baby."
"Oh Suzaku honey, you're so reliable!" Euphy hugged the Japanese teen's arm.
"Nah… You're too nice, sweetie pie!" Suzaku said smiling brightly as if he was the sun himself.
Euphy giggled, "But you are, chocolate pudding!"
"ENOUGH! MOVE YOU TWO!"
Lelouch sighed as he tried for probably the hundredth time to dial C.C.'s number. Each time the machine answers it he gets more distressed.
[The number you are calling is out of the service area. Please try again later.]
"She's still not picking her phone up?" Euphy asked concerned.
"No… Something isn't right, she'd never switch her mobile off." Lelouch said finally giving up on calling a dead phone but he increased his walking speed, the others following him.
Soon they approached a seemingly deserted area, the dust was so thick that you can barely breath, the paving was uneven and some parts were even only covered by earth. The cold winter air did not help as a strong gust of wind blew and the dust got in to poor Euphy's eyes.
"My eyessssss!!!"
Wheezing could be heard as Kallen struggled to fan the dust away from her face.
"Why is this place so dusty?!?! Even I wasn't living in a place like this before the brothel! God!"
Suddenly as Euphy continued to rub her red eyes and Kallen tried to breath well, a crash was heard and what sounded like C.C.'s voice calling for Lelouch rang.
"C.C.! C.C.!!! Scream if you can hear me!" Lelouch called out panicked.
"Lelouch!!!" This time they were positive that it was C.C.
"Where? Where? Where is she???" Euphy asked.
Kallen kept on fanning the dust as she looked for the source of C.C.'s voice, "Lelouch, hey! Where is her place?!"
Lelouch pointed to a rundown house, the roof was dull and covered with dust, the windows weren't glossy as some vines stuck on it and the door… has a hole in it?!
The group rushed over to the place and heard another scream from C.C.. Gino had pushed the door open and the hinges came off, resulting in the wooden door crashing down to the wood floor.
Lelouch gaped at the sight before him and anger boiled inside his head, "What. Are. You. Doing. To. Her?"
Mark smiled and let go of the writhing green haired girl below him, "What brings you here, Your Highness?"
"I was planning to visit my fiancée. What were you doing to her? C.C. come here." Lelouch called over to the weakened girl.
As C.C. attempted to crawl over to Lelouch, Mark grabbed a hold of her green hair and pulled her back while holding a blade against her neck.
"C.C.! Hey, let go of her!!!" Euphy said angrily.
Kallen looked at Gino who looked at Suzaku who readied his gun and pointed it at Mark. Mira smiled sickeningly sweet and faced them.
"You are still so young, you shouldn't be playing with such things. You wouldn't want to hurt yourselves, or Cera even…"
"What to do, Gino? What to do? They're using her as a shield…" Kallen asked nudging the tall blonde.
"I have something here, but I need the proper timing. You need to distract them first, I'll throw it in and you and Lelouch can grab C.C." For once Gino Weinberg appeared solemn.
Lelouch kept his violet orbs on C.C., as if trying to communicate with her.
Stay calm, we'll find a way…
Help me…
Don't worry, I will…
"Mark, what do you want?" The Black Prince asked.
"Nothing really… I just want her to stay with us. A daughter should stay even as her parents lose everything, she should be thankful that she has such caring parents that gave her life." Mark simply answered.
Kallen's face twitched, "Caring parents? You dumped her! You sold her to the brothel in order to get quick cash!"
"But we got her back and this time we are keeping her." Mira said still smiling.
"You sick people!" Euphy said tearfully.
Just then, Gino threw in something that looked like a… candy?
KABOOOM
"Gino! What did you do?!" Kallen screamed at him.
"It's a makeshift bomb we made just now during lab class! Brilliant ain't it?!" Gino said giving her a thumbs up.
"THIS IS POISONOUS?!"
"Don't worry, Kalley! It's just a smoke bomb!" Gino said smiling goofily.
Euphy screamed, "But Gino! Isn't this dangerous?!"
"NOPE! Now go get her, go, go, go!!!" Gino said waving at C.C.
Lelouch, who was the only rational one quickly yank C.C. away from Mark and Suzaku who caught up kicked the man down. In the midst of panic and madness not to mention the screaming Kallen and Euphy, Charles suddenly appeared.
"What is going on here???" the large voice of the large emperor rang throughout the small place.
As the smoke died down the large body of Charles was finally seen, "I asked you all and I want an answer!"
"They were abusing her, Father!" Euphy said pointing at Mark and Mira.
Charles remained quiet as he looked at the surrounding. C.C. was in Lelouch's arms, several parts of her white skin were covered with cuts and bruises, the injury on her shoulder reopened and blood were gushing out. Mark had a blade on his right hand and Mira was next to him.
"C.C…. Why didn't you ever mention that you had an uncle?" Charles questioned the weakened girl.
"C.C. has?" Kallen asked as the others looked at the large man curiously.
"Jeremiah Gottwald… The older brother of Mark Gottwald, Cera Chloe's father." Charles said calmly peering at the adults. "The man I will give custody of Cera Chloe to."
a/n And voila! Suckish chapter though... I should tell you that next chapter is the last one. Yes, yes, it's very fast but that's that. THE END IS COMING SOON!!!
Moving on towards the review replies!
Ledilettant - ? Uh thanks? XD
MoonlitxAngel - Thanks Moonie! I'm looking forward to your fic too!
Aly108. loveSAnime - huahahaha yup2 kurang ajar mrk, thanks ly ^^
RaveOn21 - I was tempted to... very tempted to... XD Thanks for reading!
Fangirl12 - Sorry ^^" Well find out here! Thanks for reading!
sakurahanaalice - Yep, meet the in-laws xD Well they're not here to mooch on the money... they're different... Well last time Haha-ue started war but this time it's different. Thanks for reading :D
Revior - LOLS yes...
Fuuko96 - Ahaha, no. Sayako is their maid yo. Hahaha thanks!
Miyu-hime-sama - Yesh, well... no. Not yet. Ahhh please spare me TT_TT
nymphik13 - It's is soon... Thanks for the compliments ^O^ Lelouch is sweet actually, to Nunnally only XD Thanks for reading, I'm glad you love it!
patleon909 - Hahas, yeah but it is ending next chapter... No, not for money... XD You're welcome^w^ It was epic. He tends to blurt things out when stressed no? Thanks for reading and reviewing!
.red .rose .019 - Yeah you should... um I believe it's... shameless? Yes they don't but worms like them just gets in no matter what. Go ahead, strangle them, please... enjoy yourself ^w^ Thanks for reading and always reviewing!
KH 777 - How dare they indeed ^^ He should huh? Hahaha, it's okay, reviews are love O Thanks!
SuperCeller - Hahaha yes LOL thanks you! He is...kinda... xD yeah... Well the father has I suppose... Thanks for reading!
ace003 - OOC yah?? . iy ortuny C.C. OC juga hehehe makasi ^^
thyrokio - thanks ^^ Well not for cash... Definitely bastards though...
Veriselle - YES xd Sorry for the delay T_T
Haavu - Yes, go ahead xD HAHAHA I love drama? They will have their happy ending next chapter ^O^ Lol you make it sound like some tv series :D Thanks for reading and always reviewing!
noctis cc - Sorry for the delay...
urthsin - Thanks ^^
Why does everybody think that the parents are in for the cash? That's just too boring and typical... -_- I am not boring and typical... XD
Welp, that's that! I'll see you all next chapter!
Toodles! And again I'm sorry...