Whoo, update!

I don't know why, but I'm so nervous about updating the last few chapters! We're getting into the danger zone (read: the part where writer's block tends to blur things together into frustrating 'not quite right' bits). I apologize if this is not 'up-to-par' with my other updates, I have had the worst trouble with it! Nonetheless, I will not leave my fanfiction unfinished due to some turmoil over its preparedness that is probably just me stressing over the fact that it's coming to an end! I hope you enjoy (and that this didn't just discourage you) and please do let me know how you felt about it. I love responses.


Chapter 11- The Festival and What it Entails

The morning of the festival was quite the eventful one as Milly bombarded Lelouch with multiple methods of 'torture'.

"Here, put this on!" She yelled, throwing Lelouch some sort of article of clothing. Lelouch sighed, but not in defeat.

"Can't I just wear normal comfortable clothes?" He whined. Shirley joined Milly and yelled hastily, "No!" followed by a mantra of giggles. Lelouch sighed again and took one look at the clothing only to find it to be a dress.

"I refuse to wear a dress today." Lelouch said, the worst glare he could muster directed at Milly. She responded with a devilish laugh. "I won't even come to this festival if you don't take my orders, you know. You're at my mercy." Lelouch said, and Milly's face shrunk into a scowl.

"Don't be so smug as to think you have control over me and my festival!" She sneered, and this time threw him a pair of pants and a matching shirt. Sure, they were frilly, but they were not a dress, so Lelouch could only scoff and throw them on himself in a haste.

"Wait," Shirley halted him as he was pulling the shirt over his stomach,
"I want to feel it." She said, staring him in the eyes in a way that he could only comply to.

Lelouch pulled his shirt up high and sat down at a nearby chair, exposing his smooth rounded midsection. Shirley crept up slowly, encouraging the growing frown and glare on Lelouch's face. "Come on, get over here." He mumbled, and Shirley leapt up and jumped to his side, staring with interest into his bloated stomach.

"Wow," She breathed, and she finally traced her fingers along the curve of his body. Lelouch flinched ever so slightly at the contact from her cold fingertips, but relaxed as she placed the palm of her hand just above his belly button. "That is so cool!" She exclaimed, smiling. Lelouch returned the gesture with a sarcastic undertone.

"Yeah? Try having extreme insomnia as she kicks in the middle of the night." He muttered, grimacing. His smile had slowly diminished into a scowl as he spoke. Shirley only laughed.

"Alright! Ready to go out there, Lulu?" Milly asked, arms spread wide.

"Where's Suzaku?" Lelouch asked, trying to peek over her shoulders and out the door of his home.

"Don't worry, your lover boy's waiting for you out there." She said, pointing with her thumb to the outdoors Lelouch could not see. He nodded and stood, holding his stomach in place as if it would burst as he regained an upright position.

"Alright, let's get this over with." He mumbled, while Milly and Shirley squealed in delight together.

This was going to be a terribly long day.

"Lulu, get out here!" Shirley's nagging voice alerted, shrill and painful upon Lelouch's sensitive ears as he stumbled through the Student Council room.

"I'm coming." He mumbled, a glare directed at the wall as he painfully strut through the room while Shirley and Milly composed many strange cosmetics he'd never bothered to question.

"Alright! So you know what to do, right?" Milly asked him, and Lelouch could tell just by looking at her that the excitement was nearly making her shake with anticipation. He nodded, never taking his eyes off hers.

"I just want to get this over with." He mumbled, and Milly frowned and started spouting some over-enthusiastic gibberish that was completely unacknowledged within his brain. He felt like crap, to say the least. All Lelouch wanted was to spend the next week or two lounging about his home with Suzaku.

"Suzaku…" He whispered his thought and Milly must have caught it, because she put her hands at her hips and nearly spat at him.

"Oh, calm yourself, you'll get to spend the day with him anyway!" She complained, and Lelouch groaned as he leaned against the wall as a substitute for Suzaku's shoulder.

Milly motioned out the doorway before exiting the Council room herself, and Lelouch took a moment to gather his bearings before pushing the door outwards into the chaos he expected to await him in the halls of Ashford Academy.

Before he could breathe once more he felt himself swoop horizontally and shut his eyes instinctively, to find that it was Suzaku waiting for him at the door. A kiss followed immediately after, short and sweet.

It was here that Lelouch realized that there was indeed a huge crowd of people awaiting them as they all 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed at the affectionate display, some attempting to even take pictures. A few fan girls screamed from afar after hearing the news. Whispers and silent waiting washed through the crowd, but Lelouch felt his stomach drop and suddenly felt rather sick.

"Can we get out of here?" He asked loudly so Suzaku could hear him, unwanted fear gripping his voice. Suzaku nodded and plowed his way through the people expertly, avoiding the people as if they had a personal paparazzi. Lelouch burrowed his face into Suzaku's chest, as if trying churlishly to hide from the many flashing cameras and yelling faces.

When the two had finally cleared the crowd of hyperactive festival-goers, they reached an old-fashioned, pure white, horse-drawn carriage that Milly must have prepared for them. Lelouch sighed. "Only Milly would go this far." Suzaku merely chuckled as he set Lelouch down and joined him upon the comfortable outdoor bench upon the carriage. "How much do you want to bet she spent on this?" Lelouch muttered, irked over what sorts of deficits he may need to deal with in the future, as most Student Council work that required thinking was generally pushed unto him.

"Oh, just enjoy it." Suzaku hushed him, and Lelouch sighed once more before leaning upon his shoulder.

"I feel pretty bad, Suzaku. It's kind of hard to enjoy it right now." Lelouch said bluntly, causing Suzaku's shoulder to shake with laughter and he ultimately ended up condemning himself to sitting upright once more.

"I know," he said, hand slipping over Lelouch's softly, "but it won't be much longer now, hmm?" Suzaku reassured him, a newfound light shining in his eyes.

Another sigh escaped Lelouch's lips, and he let his head fall backwards into the tall backing of their seat. "I suppose not." He complied. An uncontrollable groan managed to also make its presence known, taking the glitter from Suzaku's eyes and slapping a frown in a smile's place.

"Lelouch?" He asked, and Lelouch took a few moments of silence before looking up again.

"I'm alright…" He said, vague and unsure. Though reluctantly, Suzaku took it as an answer and squeezed Lelouch's hand as condolence. Never mind the loud babbling crowd beside their haven; they had eyes for none but each other as they traveled across the grounds in their fantasy-carriage.

"It's been eight months and two weeks." Suzaku said, absently, rubbing Lelouch's hand.

Lelouch nodded and smiled. "Any day now, hmm?" He said softly, ignoring the voices echoing through his ears with whistles and cheers drowned to a low hum.

Their short relaxing ride had been cut quite short in Lelouch's opinion when they arrived at their destination- a pair of thrones, one for each of them.

"Suzaku, you know I'm getting the bigger one, right?" Lelouch said, conniving tone music to Suzaku's ears. Suzaku chuckled, a melodic tune that caught Lelouch's attention and made him smile in response.

"Of course." Suzaku replied sweetly, and kissed his forehead. He once again swept Lelouch off his feet and carried him into the throne, gracefully and beautifully. Their fingers naturally interlocked between the armrests of their chairs, touching each other soft and light. Another captured gaze between them, and they faced their crowd.

The loud screams and shrieks over one another rose to its literal volume in Lelouch's ears, making him visibly wince at the extremity. Suzaku must have caught this, because his weak hold on Lelouch's fingers tightened and curled upon it.

"I give you, Prince Lelouch Lamperouge!" The crowd's volume increased even further before dying down upon Milly's gestures. "And his brave knight, Sir Suzaku Kururugi!" Lelouch and Suzaku simultaneously laughed under their breaths at the extravagant display Milly was putting on, as well as the underlying secret truths to their appointed titles.

"In case you haven't noticed, they're to be wed and are awaiting a child! Very soon, I'm thinking." She said, muttering the last bit just loud enough so that it echoed through the microphone, starting a roaring humming laughter through the crowd. Lelouch scowled but softened when Suzaku grabbed his hand once more.

"We all know that Lelouch and Suzaku now live on-campus, and you know what that means! That baby's going to keep us up all night for a while!" The crowd groaned upon this realization, and both Suzaku and Lelouch blushed, embarrassed. "So let's toast to the peace we're enjoying now! To a good night's sleep, a new healthy baby and a beautiful marriage!" She screamed into the microphone as the crowd began to shriek its two cents.


The ceremony consisted of little else after that. Lelouch stayed put and spoke to his classmates politely while Suzaku wandered around, being showered with further questioning.

Once the festival had nearly ended, Milly announced the final notations and cued up the ballroom dancing. The couples swirled in elegant, orderly circles with each other as a live orchestra played a menagerie of musical tones.

Suzaku pulled Lelouch from the main crowd and to the side of the room, noticing his lover's hidden discomfort. "We can go home now, you know," He mumbled in Lelouch's ear as he embraced him from behind. "I don't want you pushing it."

"Suzaku," Lelouch began, giving him a persistent glare, "I can last longer…really…" His sentence trailed off and a look of confusion dominated his face.

"Lelouch?" Suzaku asked, urgently and just as confused as Lelouch appeared.

"I feel weird." He muttered, his hand naturally upon his stomach.

"Now we're definitely going home." Suzaku said, pulling Lelouch up and helping him out the door.

"No. Wait, Suzaku." Lelouch said, and his back flew forward as he held Suzaku's shoulder for support. A moan escaped his lips. "I don't know what this is." He said to himself, frustrated and confused.

"And now I'm taking you to a hospital." Suzaku told him, flat and overpowering. Lelouch shook his head.

"No, wait. I think it's done now." He said, but as soon as he straightened up, he doubled over in twice the amount of pain as before. "On second thought." He said through a wince, and Suzaku took this as a cue and picked him up, walking as fast as he could without losing control to their home.

They made their quick way across the premises, Lelouch's occassional moans of pain scaring him into outright fear. "Sayoko-san?" Suzaku called through the house, a desperate feel in his voice. When she came running, she got the message and called for a car.

"The baby must be in distress, we have to get him to the hospital quickly." Suzaku was in awe at Sayoko's calm demeanor as he nodded.

Out the home they flew, and Suzaku laid Lelouch gently inside the car before running to his own side and getting in. As soon as he had shut the door, the car was off, speeding for the hospital.

"Lelouch?" Suzaku tried to get his lover's attention, but it was all for naught as the pained noises reduced to short squeaks.

"It's like she's trying to crawl out of my stomach!" He growled, gritting his teeth.

"That very well may be what she's doing." Suzaku said sheepishly, but snapped back to serious mode as Lelouch's fits became closer together. He hugged him tightly with his arms around Lelouch's shoulders, as if trying to comfort him in any way possible.

"Thanks." He thought he heard Lelouch mutter, so he nodded discreetly in case it was not as such. "So now what, we go to the hospital, they perform a cesarean section? Because I'm not a woman so I can't go any other way, and—"

"What are you doing?"

"Keeping my mind off of this demon clawing at my internal tissues!" He nearly yelled before doubling over once more. "Give me something to think about." He muttered into his lap.

"Well," Suzaku began, clearing his throat nervously, "this isn't going to last for much longer, that's a positive outlook." Suzaku said, and Lelouch groaned.

"Tell me you didn't bring a camera." Lelouch whined through his teeth, and Suzaku laughed nervously. Another groan, this one an overreaction.

"Come on, this is seriously important! How many times are you going to like, give birth or whatever?" Suzaku said (some of his ability to speak leaving him momentarily) and Lelouch chuckled softly, a small smile at his lips for just a few moments before it disappeared in agony.

"We're almost there, just calm yourself down."

"How am I supposed to calm down?! This hurts like hell!" Lelouch shrieked, his voice elevating up just a few notches.

"Well, after this passes we'll have a beautiful baby, won't we?" Suzaku assured him. "It'll be worth it, won't it?"

"Yeah," Lelouch said, nearly panting, "I suppose you're right." Suzaku grabbed his head and kissed it hard, and pulled Lelouch's head to his chest.

"Just focus on breathing for me until we get there." Suzaku mumbled into the mob of dark hair below his face.

"Mmkay." He heard Lelouch mutter through an exhaled breath, which allowed for Suzaku to relax a bit himself. It was all happening so fast- Suzaku barely had any of his senses working as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that something so important could come upon them so quickly. It all seemed to be a big blur of frantic reactions.

Before he'd even noticed, they'd arrived at the hospital, and Sayoko was quietly urging Lelouch to regain posture and step from the car. Suzaku threw open his door and jogged around the back to stand beside Sayoko.

"Lelouch, we're here." Suzaku whispered, trying to stay as calm for him as possible. One of Lelouch's eyes peered from beneath his arm as he reached to grab Suzaku's hand. As soon as their fingers made contact, Suzaku pulled him out of the car and into his arms, bringing a loud yelp out of Lelouch.

A wheelchair was shoved in their direction and Suzaku didn't take the time to look up and see the faces of the rushing interns. Sayoko pushed Lelouch into the wheelchair, who immediately sunk into its corners with a moan.

Through the automatic doors of the Emergency Room they rushed. "Maternity ward, please!" Sayoko yelled, and the interns following them dissipated into just two as they directed the three of them to the elevators.

Suzaku momentarily forgot the situation and wondered how many of the other patients in the Emergency Room had looked in confusion upon Lelouch when they were informed by Sayoko's yelling voice that he was headed for the Maternity ward. He nearly chuckled, but was reminded of the circumstances as they were crammed into an elevator. An intern pushed the 'four' on the keypad of floors.

It was so unbearably slow, that elevator was. Suzaku tapped his foot on the flooring at such a rapid speed Sayoko had to touch his arm to notify him of the action and calm himself. They exchanged looks of equal empathy.

"Well, this elevator is unbearably slow." Lelouch mumbled, and Suzaku chuckled at their mirrored thoughts. They reached their floor soon afterwards, engulfed in the sounds of child labor everywhere. "I am so glad I don't have the choice to do that." Lelouch said, grimacing, and Suzaku laughed again.

"You'll be easy. They'll probably take care of you straight away." Suzaku evaluated, and Lelouch nodded.

They were given a hospital room all to themselves, the parallel bed beside them vacant. A doctor took the interns' place, and they exchanged brief greetings before moving along. "Lelouch, correct?" He asked, looking at a chart. Lelouch nodded shakily as he took his place upon the hospital bed. "So since you're obviously incapable of child birth," Lelouch nodded again, "we'll probably have your baby out of you before tomorrow." The male doctor smiled, which Suzaku and Lelouch both returned.

"I'll come back to you when you've been scheduled for your cesarean section." The doctor said curtly before rounding the curtain and walking from the room quickly.

"So now we know her birthday." Lelouch whispered, eye in a constant twitch from the twinges of pain.

"June sixth…" Suzaku said under his breath. He decided he liked the ring to it. Lelouch closed his eyes and smiled, somewhat content when compared with his previous state of panic.

"So now we wait." Suzaku said, and Lelouch groaned before falling back into his pillow completely.

"I'm sick of waiting." He murmured. Suzaku scooted his chair up closer to Lelouch's side and took his hand in both his own. He pulled Lelouch's fingers to his mouth and kissed them, but Lelouch loosened Suzaku's grip and brushed his hand against his cheek.

"I love you, you know." Suzaku said, and Lelouch laughed and turned his head away from Suzaku's gaze.

"Of course I know, you idiot. I'm wearing your ring and bearing your child, aren't I?" Another quieted grunt of pain, then silence.

They waited for about fifteen minutes before being directed that they would be performing the surgery now. In that amount of time Lelouch's pain had nearly doubled as he had to bite his lip to keep from shrieking. "You can come into the room and watch, it you wish." The doctor informed Suzaku, but he shook his head.

"No, I'll probably be squeamish about it." Suzaku said, but when he saw Lelouch's eyes widen at the realization that Suzaku wouldn't be there with him, his gaze softened and he kissed him upon the forehead, ignoring how sweaty it was. "I'll be waiting for you when you come back, I promise." Lelouch gave him a weak affirmative nod before allowing himself to be sedated. He was carted off without a second's hesitation then.

Suzaku found a chair nearby the operating room in which Lelouch was going to be, and rested his head against the wall slowly and delicately. The wall did, unfortunately, still feel uncomfortable despite his slow approach, and he sighed in the discomfort.

He also couldn't help but be lulled to sleep by the dangerously stale hospital aura.


"Kururugi? Kururugi?" Suzaku's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing the thought of (besides his terrible headache) was Lelouch.

"Lelouch? Is he-?" Suzaku said, trailing off as he realized he'd fallen asleep outside the operating room and the doctor had woken him up.

"Don't worry, everything's gone smoothly. She's extremely healthy as well, a great turnout for a medicine-induced pregnancy." Suzaku's breath caught in his breath.

"She?" The doctor nodded, and Suzaku took a minute to let it sink in. "So he was right all that time." He laughed and deemed that he probably looked borderline crazy, so refrained himself from talking to his own head.

"She was born two weeks prematurely, however," Suzaku's breath caught in his throat at the realization, "but that happens often, even in normal circumstances. At a first glance she seems to be fine, but we don't want to take any chances." Suzaku let out his held breath in relief and smiled.

"I have to go attend to other patients, but Lelouch is in the room you were in originally, 214." Suzaku nodded his thanks and took his time stretching his neck as the doctor rushed off into another room. He pulled himself to his feet and made his way down the long hallways to where Lelouch was purportedly residing.

Suzaku tip-toed into the room and sat at the seat he'd previously pulled out of position, but his efforts were in vain as Lelouch covered his mouth as he yawned and pulled himself up carefully. "Hi." Lelouch spoke, turning his head to face Suzaku.

"Hey," Suzaku laughed, pushing Lelouch's dampened hair from his face. "So how've you been?"

"Alright, but I won't be once the anesthesia wears off." Lelouch said softly. "You're exhausted, I hear." Lelouch reminded him, one eyebrow up. Suzaku sighed.

"Yes, I am, and now my neck hurts," He complained, rubbing at the designated area with a twitching eye, "but shouldn't I be the one taking care of you?"

"Sorry, and I'm just fine at the moment." Lelouch whispered before turning and looking at the clock. "What should we name her?"

"Well, I'm not sure." Suzaku told him, lying in bed next to him without disturbing his position. "You're the one who insisted we wait until she was born to decide."

"I know." Lelouch whined, overdramatic. He laughed and raised his right hand to his forehead, covering his eyes. "I'll have to stay here for a few more days, I think."

"And I'll be here the whole time." Suzaku said before standing and leaning over Lelouch, holding his hand in front of his eyes as he kissed him on the lips. Lelouch pulled away with his eyebrows raised and mouth turned down.

"No, you don't have to stay here, this place is terrible." Lelouch growled, trying his hardest to have authority, which was proving to be difficult as he lay nearly unconscious in a hospital bed.

"Yes, I do. What am I supposed to do at home all day?" Suzaku said, proving a good point.

"I don't know, not be here?" Lelouch argued, biting his lip. He knew he wasn't going to win this one. His lack of usual concentration was one of the side effects of the medicines being dripped into his bloodstream by IV.

"What are they doing to her right now?" Suzaku asked after a few moments, redirecting the conversation upon Lelouch's apparent defeat.

"I don't know. They didn't tell me when we could see her again." Lelouch said through a sigh, sorely disappointed. Suzaku pushed a button upon the wall to call a nurse, who came and answered their question.

"They're probably just taking quick tests right now. Don't worry, they'll give her to you before tomorrow." Suzaku glanced at the clock- it was nearly ten o' clock at night. Lelouch could not hold back another sigh.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Suzaku chuckled, and the nurse smiled and excused herself. "Why don't you rest? I'll wake you when it's time." It took quite a bit of convincing—or manipulation, as Lelouch saw it—to get him to calm down and eventually fall asleep.

"It's been a long day, huh?" Suzaku whispered as he held his lips upon Lelouch's forehead, kissed it, and swept fly-away strands of hair from his face delicately.

Suzaku fell asleep collapsed beside Lelouch on the bed, and the nurse let them be, to give them their daughter the next morning.


I hope the lacking detail over the festival doesn't totally enrage you. Basically it was used as a plot opening, heheh. If enough people wish for it, I could always include it in my continuation fanfiction after this is finished in a much more detailed, entertaining form? Let me know.

Curse you Suzaku, falling asleep at the worst possible time! Wow, only two breaks in this chapter - rather rare for me. Again, please leave a review if you can. Are you surprised this isn't a cliffhanger ending? I thought it'd be mean to leave off on a painful note, since this update took longer than the rest. I hope everyone is having a wonderful vacation! Good bye for now! The next chapter will most likely be the very last and will probably take longer as well. I promise once more that it will be finished within three weeks.

Code Geass and all of its attributes (c) Sunrise/CLAMP/Bandai Entertainment/Goro Taniguchi.