I don't own Code Geass

...

Tokyo General Medical Center, Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven, 2017

Lelouch stared down at Suzaku, hands clenched in tight fists. His friend was hooked up to a monitor that beeped every time his heart beat, which set an annoyingly loud rhythm that Lelouch feared would wake the wounded boy. An IV line was attached to a needle injected into his wrist, and ran a connection from the vial to the bag of morphine that kept Suzaku under. Brown hair poked out over the white bandages wrapped around his head that kept the padding on his cheek pressed down onto his injury. Only a pair of small holes at the mouth and nose allowed the young man the ability to breathe and eat.

Clustered around Suzaku was the Student Council, quietly talking with one another about everything and nothing, the worry for their companion expressed in the furtive glances and restrained tears that choked up every conversation. Nunally held Suzaku's hand, as silent as Lelouch, the underside of her closed eyes red from grief.

A hand was placed on his arm. Lelouch turned and acknowledged Shirley's worried presence. "Lelouch," she said, "the doctors said he'd be alright. Please sit down."

Lelouch turned back to Suzaku. He felt his eyes burn. "They said there would be scarring," he whispered. Her hand slid down his arm and rested on his hand. She squeezed it, and he found himself squeezing back.

"But he's alive, Lulu," Shirley reminded him, gently tugging him toward a chair. "That's all that matters." He let her lead him to the seat and sat down. She sat down next to him. Her hand was still in his.

Lelouch sat there like that for a while, Shirley's hand resting in his, and at first didn't notice when her head came to rest on his shoulder. When he did, he responded by resting his head on top of hers. The sound of Shirley's light breathing lulled him into a state of calm that allowed his analytical mind to work, and for the first time, he found himself hating his older sister.

He knew that Cornelia had shot Suzaku; Jeremiah had told him soon after it happened. His knight had been on the scene as quickly as possible and helped to restrain the berserk Viceroy and protect Suzaku, who had lain unconscious on the ground below her Gloucester. From what he understood it had taken Jeremiah and four others to fully restrain the irate woman and inject her with a sedative. She spent the rest of the day in bed while Jeremiah coordinated the cleanup.

The incident was supposed to be kept under wraps, so naturally Lelouch had ordered Jeremiah to spread it as far, and as discreetly, as possible. The initial results looked promising.

Damn her, Lelouch thought. The image of Cornelia's smug grin filtered into his head. I'm going to rip your eyes out and shove them down your throat, have your body dragged through the streets and sent in pieces to our damned-

"Took you two long enough." Lelouch's eyes snapped open. Suzaku's green eyes twinkled merrily at him, his lips curled up in a slight, knowing smile. He shot to his feet.

"Suzaku!"Nunally yelped. A joyful smile spread over her face and she tightened her grasp on his hand. The council gathered around them, their expressions bright with equally happy grins. New tears sprung to Nunally's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Suzaku brought his hand up and brushed them away.

"Don't cry, Nunally," he said. His voice was weak but warm. Just from its sound Lelouch knew his friend would be alright.

"How are you feeling?" Lelouch asked.

"Tired," Suzaku replied. "How long have I been under?"

"Four days," Kallen said. She fidgeted slightly. "They said a bunch of nerve endings got torn apart that they had to repair."

Suzaku tried to nod but managed only a weak brow tip. "Makes sense," he said.

"What happened buddy?" Rivalz asked.

Lelouch perked up. He wondered what Suzaku would tell them.

Suzaku shut his eyes. Visible unease rippled through him. Finally he said, "I'm not sure. All I can remember is that I was opening up a Knightmare to get the pilot out. There was a loud bang, and then after that, nothing."

Liar. They were going to have to have a chat, just as soon as Lelouch had him alone.

Nunally shivered uncontrollably. "I was so scared when I heard you'd been hurt, Suzaku," she said. Her voice wavered. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

"Okay Nunally," Suzaku said. He smiled once more and laid a hand on hers. He turned to Milly. "Madame President, could you get my teachers to send me the classwork I missed?" he asked.

"Oh forget about that," Milly said earnestly, "I already spoke to your teachers. They're exempting you from those assignments."

"But Madame President-"

"But nothing," Milly interrupted, her merry blue eyes suddenly ablaze. "Focus on getting better. You can catch up with your schoolwork later."

Suzaku nodded, his eyes fearfully big. "Yes ma'am," he whimpered. The cheery smile returned to the blonde's face.

Rivalz leaned over conspiratorially, his hand shielding his mouth. "Yeesh, Suzaku," he said, "you should know better than to argue with Milly when she's angry."

"What was that Rivalz?"

Rivalz came to sharp attention. "Nothing ma'am!"

Lelouch shook his head fondly at his friends' antics. "I'm going to tell the nurse that Suzaku is awake," he said, already heading for the door.

He was slightly surprised when Kallen said, "I'll go with you." The redhead stood up to join him.

Almost like clockwork Shirley shot up and said, "Let me help too."

"Well that's no fair, Lulu," Milly crowed from her position by Suzaku's side. "Leave a few pretty girls for the rest of us!"

Lelouch heard the others sputter, with simultaneous declarations from Kallen and Shirley that "It isn't like that!", but he just rolled his eyes and said, "Quit trying to pervert the air around my sister, Milly."

Her cackling followed him out the door.

…

Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven

"Where is he?! Where is Zero?! Give me Zero!" Euphemia winced when she heard Cornelia bellow through the door. She'd been demanding to have Zero brought to her presence for execution since she woke up. Fearing her irate behavior, they had no choice but to keep her locked up in her room, at least until she calmed down. Listening to the pounding on the door, Euphemia wondered if that would ever happen.

The young princess rubbed at her still raw eyes. She had wept for the better part of a day after Guilford's death and there were still moments when she had to stop and breathe slowly to control herself. She'd worn no makeup in the time since, knowing full well that she would look a frightful mess.

Not that I don't already, Euphemia thought, rubbing her straggly, barely brushed pink hair out of her eyes.

She left the room, no longer wanting to hear her sister's ravings. Euphemia wanted to help Cornelia but didn't really know how, and besides which she was more than a little angry with her sister.

She arrived at the office of Margrave Gottwald and was just about to knock when she heard voices inside.

"I don't deserve to be returned to my previous rank, My Lord." Is that Private Nu? Euphemia wondered.

"You saved a lot of lives, Viletta," she heard Margrave Gottwald say.

"I let things get out of hand, My Lord. If I had kept my cool, handled the situation better-"

"You did as well as could be expected, given the circumstances."

"Innocent people still died My Lord."

"This is war, Viletta. People die. We can't stop that. You minimized civilian casualties as much as you could. That anyone survived that landslide is in itself a miracle."

"Even if I agreed with you My Lord, you would still have to get it approved by the Viceroy, and I doubt she's in a giving mood."

Euphemia smiled. "That's not entirely true," she said, opening up and stepping through the door.

Gottwald and Nu immediately stood to attention and said, "Your Highness!"

"Please don't," Euphemia said, motioning them to sit back down. "I happened to overhear you out in the hall. Private Nu," she addressed the dark woman, "you were chosen to lead the evacuation because of your prior leadership experience. Considering your performance, and under my authority as sub-Viceroy, I think it only fair to return you to the rank of major, effective immediately."

The older woman's jaw dropped open. She spluttered, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Euphemia nodded. "I don't wish to be rude," she said, "but could you please leave Margrave Gottwald and me alone for the moment?"

Viletta stood and bowed. "Of course Your Highness. I shall see to my other duties." The re-christened major stepped out of the room.

"What exactly are her other duties?" Euphemia asked.

"Viletta is in charge of the relief efforts in the ghettos," Jeremiah said. "She takes it very seriously."

"Given her previous affiliation with the Purist Faction, I'm rather surprised." Euphemia gasped at herself, mortified. "I'm so sorry Margrave Jeremiah, I spoke out of turn."

The margrave raised his gloved hand. "There is no need to apologize Your Highness," he assured her. "Neither Viletta nor I take pride in what the Purists became." He sighed and lowered his eyes.

"What was the Purist Faction supposed to be?" Euhpemia asked.

Jeremiah stood up and walked to his window. He laid his arm against the glass and rested his forehead on it. "We were supposed to defend the rights of Britannians," he answered. "All Britannians, whether they were commoner or noble, would find a place in our ranks, and pursue their dreams."

Euphemia liked the idea of that. "What happened?" she asked.

Jeremiah shrugged. "I can't pinpoint where everything went wrong," he said, "it was a gradual process from idealistic peasants to xenophobic knights. Maybe it was when we first gained steam," he mused, "maybe after a thousand of His Majesty's speeches, the message stuck. I don't know what happened to the group, but I do know what happened to me." His whole back was rigid, his right hand now balled up in a fist. "It was the Honorary Britannian system."

Euphemia wasn't entirely surprised; Clovis' announcement of the Honorary Britannian System had sent Cornelia into an enraged rant. "The idea of the Elevens having the same rights as native born Britannians upset you?" she asked.

"The Elevens so much as existing upset me Your Highness," Jeremiah said vehemently.

Euphemia was a bit startled by his vehemence. "What drives that kind of hatred, Margrave?"

Jeremiah shrugged. "Nothing rational," he said, calmed back down. "Not even for something they did. It's just-" he struggled to come up with the words. "It just wasn't fair for her to die. For her children to be sent away." His voice caught. "It wasn't fair that they died in this land."

An eerie feeling of familiarity descended on Euphemia. "Who are you talking about?" she asked, though she suspected she knew the answer.

"Empress Marianne," Jeremiah replied, confirming her suspicion. "She was the best of us all, and I failed her. I was supposed to guard her and her children, and I let them get gunned down on a stairway."

"You were one of Empress Marianne's guards?" Euphemia asked, feeling broadsided.

Jeremiah nodded. "It was my first assignment," he said, "and my first failure. Perhaps my greatest. I came to this land hoping to find her children and restore them to their proper place, but instead we just found mountains of the dead. That was why I started the Purist Faction: so that no other Britannian would suffer the same fate." He grunted. "And see now what it became," he murmured.

Euphemia felt confused. "If that's how you feel about them," she asked, "why are you helping them rebuild?"

A shiver rippled through his body. "Dead children are dead children, Your Highness," he whispered, "no matter what race or nationality. Staring into their glassy eyes after you've murdered them changes your outlook."

"The Shinjuku Skirmish," Euphemia hissed.

Jeremiah shook his head. "It was only a skirmish when Zero participated. Before that, it was a slaughter." He chuckled bitterly. "All so Clovis could keep his throne."

Then it wasn't a lie, Euphemia thought sadly. What Zero said was true. You really were a murderer, brother.

Euphemia didn't like where the conversation had gone. "If it is alright with you, My Lord," she said, preparing to leave, "I will excuse myself. The Viceroy will perhaps have calmed down by now."

"Your Highness," Jeremiah said, "I hope I'm not being presumptuous, but I don't think there is much you can do about the Viceroy right now. However, there is a young man in the hospital who might enjoy your company."

Suzaku, Euphemia thought. Shame and guilt had kept her away. She considered going back to Cornelia, but decided Lord Jeremiah was right: there wasn't anything she could do for her sister.

"That," she said, forcing a smile, "sounds like an excellent idea."

…

Shinjuku Stadium, Shinjuku Ghetto, Area Eleven

There seemed to be a never ending supply of wounded and refugees. Every time that Viletta came to the ghetto, which was just about every day now, she had to make requisitions for fresh medical supplies, fresh rations, fresh clothing for the tattered and battered Elevens. She was exhausted at the end of the day, but felt strangely satisfied.

Viletta wasn't sure how much of the medical supplies they had used up, but she knew it must be costing the military a fortune. More importantly, she found she didn't care.

"Private Nu! It's good to see you again!" Viletta's heart raced and her stomach fluttered with what felt like the beating wings of a thousand butterflies flapping their wings. She turned her head and let a smile spread across her burning face.

"Major, Kaname," she corrected. "It's Major Nu now."

Kaname came up a little short, suddenly looking a bit nervous. "Yes, Major," he said with a bow, "sorry about that."

Viletta waved him off. "There's no need to apologize, Kaname," she said. "What's the situation?"

Kaname straightened up and said, "As grim as ever. We help a thousand one day and two thousand more show up."

Viletta allowed her jovial mood to subside. "We should have enough supplies to last through the day. I guarantee you, everyone here will get proper treatment," she said.

"Injuries aren't really the problem," Kaname said. His eyes burned into hers. "We're also dealing with people who are either severely malnourished or suffering from basic diseases." He shook his head ruefully. "Often both."

"So food and anti-bacterial medicine?" Viletta asked. Kaname nodded. "You'll have it," she assured him.

He shuffled his feet. Viletta saw his discomfort and asked, "What is it?"

He looked somewhere just over her shoulder and said, "I was thinking we could sit down together and plan out what we'll need."

Viletta raised her eyebrow. "Certainly, Kaname. You can come to my office-"

"-Over tea," Kaname interrupted. His cheeks were beet red.

Viletta felt her own burn as her heart started to pound. She smiled. "I like tea," she said.

A bashful grin lit up his face. "Great," he said, backing up and clapping his hands together, "that's great. Um-" he looked flustered, "when do you want to do it?"

"You don't have a specific time in mind?" Viletta asked with a coy smile.

He scratched the back of his head. "I, uh, hadn't planned that far ahead," he admitted sheepishly.

Viletta ducked her head and laughed. She covered her mouth up to try to stifle it. "I'll be free in a few days, Kaname," she said when she recovered. "We'll figure out something before then." By the huge grin on his face, you'd think she'd given him the world.

"Hey, Ohgi!" some red-haired loudmouth shouted. "Get down here! This crap's heavy!"

"I'll be right there!" Kaname responded. He turned back to her, his expression apologetic but happy. "I'll see you in little while Priv- I mean Major Nu, uh, ma'am," he spluttered.

Viletta held in another laugh. Before he could completely run off she yelled, "Kaname!" He turned back to her expectantly. "My name is Viletta!"

Kaname grinned.

"Okay," he said, "Villeta."

…..

Tokyo General Hospital, Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven

The water in the toilet splashed noisily as Kallen wretched into it. She'd had the queasy feeling in her stomach ever since she heard about Suzaku's injury yesterday, but actually seeing him was a lot worse than her whatever she had imagined. She knew that she hadn't been the one who shot him, but her comrades had. It had never really hit home before then that her choices in life had placed her against her friends, and now that it had she felt horrible.

If Suzaku had been in one of those Knightmares, she thought, I would have killed him.

Knowing that she had nearly killed her fellow Japanese, she had done some research into those who were killed at Narita. Listed among the casualties were forty-five civilians buried under a mountain of mud.

I'm supposed to be a defender of the innocent, she thought. Instead I killed them.

She wanted to get into contact with Zero. She needed to hear what he had to say about the people she had slaughtered.

At the same time, though, she was afraid of his answer. Will he take away the Guren? she fretted. Will I be booted out of the Zero Squadron. Will- the thought horrified her- Will he kick me out of the Black Knights?

I made a choice. A conscious decision. I chose to kill innocent people. Kallen wretched again. My fault. All my fault.

She couldn't go back. She was going home, and she was going to call Zero.

…..

Kallen looked pretty shaken up, Lelouch thought as he followed the nurse back. I'll have to figure out what's up with her.

He fought the urge to pull out the blue concert ticket that Shirley had given him just a few moments ago.

"My dad is usually away a lot because of work," she had said before handing it to him, "but he sends me stuff like this all the time. I was hoping you and I could go."

Lelouch had wanted to refuse but took one look at those green eyes and couldn't. Her love for him had brought her nothing but pain and, eventually, death. He had no right to be a part of her renewed life.

This isn't for you, a little voice in his mind admonished, it's for her.

That's right, he thought, it's just a concert. We'll hang out for a couple of hours, find out we're not right for each other, and go back to being friends. Simple as that.

"All right, that's enough," the nurse said quietly when they arrived. "I need all of you to leave right now. Warrant Officer Kururugi needs his rest."

There were some half-hearted protests, but everyone ended up agreeing that it was time to go. They said their goodbyes to Suzaku and began to file out.

"Nurse," Lelouch said, letting the power of his geass flit into his eye, "could I speak to Suzaku alone for a few minutes?"

He saw her eyes dim and then glow slightly as the geass command took effect. "All right, go ahead," the nurse said, "but don't take too long, and try not to exhaust him."

"Yes ma'am." Lelouch waited for her to leave, then turned to Suzaku. "All right, Suzaku," he said, "I want the truth. What happened?"

"What are you talking about, Lelouch?" Suzaku asked, though it sounded like the question was rhetorical.

"I didn't buy that crap about you not remembering for a second," Lelouch told him. "What happened?"

"Does it really matter, Lelouch?" Suzaku asked. Lelouch almost wanted to stop. His friend sounded so tired. "Nothing is going to be done about it. It'll all be swept under the rug, same as everything else."

"Then it wasn't the Black Knights who shot you," Lelouch pressed. "Who shot you, Suzaku? What happened?"

Suzaku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Lelouch waited impatiently. "It was shortly after the fight at Narita," Suzaku related in a monotone voice. "We were safe for the moment from the enemy insurgents, but Sir Guilford was dead and Princess Cornelia hadn't returned from her Knightmare. Princess Euphemia had passed out from grief," the thought of hurting Euphemia stabbed Lelouch in the heart, "and I believed that she would need to see her sister's face when she came to."

"And I assume she did that to you?" Lelouch said, the swelling anger within him making his tone clipped.

"I guess she did," Suzaku replied. "All I know is one moment I'm trying to tell her that her sister needs her help, the next my face is on fire and I'm falling through the sky."

Lelouch sighed. "On the list of stupid things you could have done, that was probably near the top," he said.

"What was I supposed to do, Lelouch, just sit back and let them stew in their grief?" Suzaku asked roughly. "Would you really have wanted me to do that to your own sisters?"

"Cornelia is hardly a sister to me," Lelouch snapped. "She did nothing to help me or Nunally after Japan fell, and she wasted no time making herself into Britannia's most feared general."

"Against the might of the Emperor, Lelouch?" Suzaku asked. "What exactly could she have said or done that wouldn't have just gotten herself and Euphemia exiled?"

"Are you really defending the woman who shot your face off, Suzaku?" Lelouch needed to get this conversation turned back around.

"No," Suzaku said, the passion that had been building up gone, "just providing the context."

"The context is that a woman gave up her principles to save her own hide," Lelouch snarled. "Aren't those kind of people despicable, Suzaku?"

"They are," Suzaku said.

"And someone just like that is the head of the system," Lelouch said. "And you yourself said that it will all be swept under the rug. So doesn't it stand to reason that the system itself is despicable?"

"Yes."

Lelouch jolted. He hadn't expected that. "Then doesn't that mean," he said cautiously, "that the very cause you fight for within Britannia is hopeless?"

"Most likely."

Lelouch was genuinely shocked. "Suzaku," he hedged, "are you alright?"

"What do you want me to say, Lelouch?" Suzaku asked. Lelouch flinched at the amount of bitterness he heard in his friend's voice. "That the system is hopelessly corrupt? That I made a mistake in whom I trusted? That I'm fighting a losing battle? Do you really think I haven't already asked all of those questions?" Suzaku sighed. "Change doesn't come overnight," he said. "Those who profit from the current situation will fight change with everything they've got. There are going to be setbacks, and losses. I might not even live to see it, but what I and others are fighting for is a brighter future for those who follow us. In the face of that," Suzaku turned his eyes on Lelouch, and they were bright and warm, "how can I give up now?"

….

"The morphine dose should kick in in a few minutes," the nurse told Suzaku kindly. "You just rest until then. You've had a busy day."

"Thank you ma'am, I'll try," Suzaku said. He smiled slightly up at the woman dimmed his lights before she left. When she was gone, he tried to sink down into the bed.

Lelouch and he had argued for a few more minutes before the other teen gave up and said his own goodbyes. Suzaku was getting worried: every argument he had with the boy exposed his hatred of his homeland and just about everyone in it, Ashford Academy and Nunally excepted of course. The way Lelouch spoke of the Black Knights, with such admiration and such reverence, had Suzaku increasingly concerned.

Lelouch, you wouldn't try to join them would you? he wondered. The answer was still unclear, but Suzaku was leaning towards "Yes." The thought of his best friend, his brother, being on the wrong side of this conflict… no, he didn't even want to think about it.

He heard a slight shuffling at his door and a surprised gasp. He turned his face to the door, and his green eyes met Princess Euphemia's blue ones. The heart rate monitor beat a little faster, and Suzaku was happy that the bandages on his face masked the blush that surely covered his cheeks. Her pink hair was pulled into a light ponytail that allowed a heavy lock to fall down over the right side of her face. Her clothes consisted of a simple orange dress and an open white sweater. She was gorgeous.

"I'm so sorry," the Princess said, "I was told you were asleep but I still wanted to check in on you. I'm so sorry to have woken you up."

"Don't worry Your Highness, it's alright," Suzaku assured her quickly, "I haven't been asleep at all." Though not for a lack of trying. "Please, sit down."

"Thank you." The Princess looked for and found a small chair, then moved it up next to his bed.

"How are you feeling?" Euphemia asked. She winced. "Sorry, dumb question."

"No, not at all Your Highness," Suzaku said, reclining his bed into a sitting position. "Aside from the general numbness, I feel fine."

"That's a relief," Euphemia said. She clasped a weakly clenched fist over her breast. "When I heard what the Viceroy had done, I feared the worst. I'm glad to know you'll be alright."

"Believe me, so am I," Suzaku said lightly.

Euphemia reached out and brushed his bandaged cheek where the bullet had struck. "It'll scar, won't it?" she asked gently.

He wished he could feel her hand through the bandage. "Scars are pretty cool," he said with a slight grin. "Girls just swoon over guys with scars." Did I really just say that?

Euphemia giggled. "If that's so true," she said mirthfully, "then why don't more guys get them?"

"Well it's not just the scar itself," Suzaku explained on the fly, "there's always a story behind them. I mean, after all," he leaned over conspiratorially, "a guy wouldn't want a girl to know that he got a few big scars on his face from a possum attack, would he?"

Euphemia broke out into laughter. "I suppose that would be pretty bad," she said rubbing away a tear.

"You see what I mean. It can't be anything normal like 'Well my cat scratched me up' or 'I tripped over my TV remote control.' It always has to be 'I got mugged in an alleyway' or 'There were fifty guys with masks.'" Suzaku soared when he heard the Princess break out into new peals of laughter. I could listen to that forever, he thought.

"Or it's one knight against a hoard of barbarians, no shirt or sword, just their bare hands," Euphemia added. "Imperial legend is full of stories like that."

"And I bet most of them just cut themselves while cooking dinner," Suzaku quipped.

They spent an incalculable amount of time like that, just joking and laughing. Eventually though, the jokes ran out, and a companionable silence descended upon them.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, Suzaku finally said, "Your Highness, you have my deepest condolences for the death of Sir Guilford. He was a great man."

The young Princess nodded. "He was," she said, sniffing and rubbing at her eyes, "but he's gone now, and he's left a lot of good people behind."

"Like your sister," Suzaku noted.

Euphemia flinched. "Yes, my sister," she said quietly. The Sub Viceroy turned her head to him. "Suzaku, you must know that in her right mind, Cornelia would never have done what she did. However, if you feel the need to press charges-" she paused to take a deep breath, "then I will help you see that justice is served."

Suzaku stared at her like she had grown a second head. "While I appreciate the sentiment, Your Highness," he told her, "I'd prefer it if you didn't."

"Suzaku, if this is about how the courts would react to it, I can assure you-"

"That isn't it at all, Your Highness," Suzaku interrupted her. "The whole reason I tried to get Princess Cornelia out of that Knightmare was I felt you two needed each other to heal. I won't come between you now over something anyone in her state of mind could have done."

Now it was the Princess who stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. "But surely there must be something I can do!" she exclaimed.

"Well, Your Highness, if it means that much to you, you could just meet me in few days to go see a movie." What the Hell?!

The young woman looked taken aback. Suzaku hastened to say, "Don't mind that, Your Highness, it was just a-"

"Which movie?" she asked.

Dumbfounded, Suzaku said, "What?"

She seemed nervous. "What movie?" she elaborated.

Suzaku was flabbergasted. "Any movie," he stammered, "doesn't really matter to me."

Euphemia contemplated something for a moment and then nodded. "Deal," she said, and delivered him a flustered, warm smile. "It's a date."

It was a good thing the bandages constricted Suzaku's face, because if they hadn't, the huge grin he was trying to sport would have split his face in two. "Great," he said, his voice much more sure. "I'll see you then. Should I pick you up?"
She shook her head. "I'll meet you in town," she said, getting up to leave. "My guards will have to come along, and of course, Cornelia will know nothing about this." She smiled brightly at him. "I'm looking forward to our date, Suzaku."

Suzaku retrunred her smile. "I am as well, Your Highness."

Just before she left, the Princess turned to him and said, "Suzaku, my friends call me 'Euphie.'" Then she left.

Suzaku grinned at the empty doorway. "Alright, Euphie." He stared up at his IV bag.

What the Hell kind of morphine is in that thing?