DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters are the property of Sunrise, Inc.

First Impressions and First Steps

Lelouch Lamperouge -- Just who was he?

He was clearly around her age, but after a single afternoon with him already left her with a few mysteries to puzzle over.

For one, Shirley immediately tensed upon seeing him. Kallen would've thought that his sharp features were her type. She assumed she'd turn dreamy-eyed instead.

Another was how her father acted around him. He introduced Lelouch as the son of one of his business partners who was sent to asess Area 11's business potential. Her father's clear protectiveness of her was not unusual, but considering that all visitors were barred from entering the manor before today, plus the veiled anger she recognized when his left ear twitched, gave her the feeling that he was somehow forced into letting Lelouch into their home.

Then there was Lelouch himself. She had seen her share of awkward conversations between girls and boys, especially where the girls' fathers were within earshot, but Lelouch was a new category. She could easily sense the intelligence in his eyes, yet he seemed to need to re-form his sentences even while he spoke. It was almost as if he knew what he was talking about but was afraid that the rest of them would learn too much from it. During times he actually spoke, that is.

Also -- color her paranoid -- she could swear he was actively avoiding her gaze.

"You know, it's rude to not look at a persons face when they're speaking to you, right?"

That look on his face! One-hundred percent like a fish out of water. She giggled at the spectacle, but she had a feeling she just attempted something dangerous.

"My apologies," she said after reining in her laughter. "You're our first guest in quite a while, and I'd rather we enjoy each other's company sooner rather than later."

The mood for the next hour brightened after that, yet Lelouch only puzzled her more. Many times she thought he would say a certain word, but then he'd say -- believe it or not -- a synonym of that word. It was almost as if he needed to not speak a certain way but could still mean the same thing.

Lelouch Lamperouge: the human thesaurus.

When they heard the grandfather clock in her father's study strike four, he stood up abruptly, and was again doing the fish out of water impression.

"Ah, yes, we needed to be somewhere by four," her father explained for him. "Let's go, Lelouch," and just like that her father grasped his shoulder and guided him out.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Lelouch!" she called to their retreating backs. He turned his head back to look at her, but her father pushed him onward.

She let out a curious hum once they were out of sight, and she noticed Shirley sink into her chair out of sheer relief. She wanted to ask her friend what her tension was all about, but decided not to.

She recalled the sense of danger she felt earlier. Could it somehow be connected to her father and Shirley's behavior? Or were they just worried that she'd have another episode from the excitement brought about by having a visitor after so long?

Whichever the case, she had a feeling that Lelouch Lamperouge was a person worth knowing.

-.o.0.o.-

"The crown thanks you for your continuous service, Lord Stadtfeld."

"Thank you for gracing us with your visit, your highness," spoke Lord Stadtfeld -- Kallen's father -- while he entered his car. Sir Rittenberg, similarly garbed in civilian attire as he, closed the door after him before moving to take his place in the driver's seat.

"Home, Sir Rittenberg," he told his guard. He would not be returning to the government bureau. He needed to think. He needed to take stock of everything he had learned today.

He needed to make a choice.

"Yes, your highness," his guard dutifully replied before putting their vehicle into gear and driving away from Stadtfeld Manor.

Lord Stadtfeld was right, she really wasn't the Kallen that got his attention. Had this Kallen been presented in court, he wouldn't have spared her a second glance. She was intelligent, yes, and more beautiful than he remembered, but she truly lacked the spirit that his Kallen exuded even when he first laid eyes on her.

He snorted at that last thought. His Kallen, huh?

"Something amusing, your highness?" asked Sir Rittenberg.

"Merely the mediocrity of Stadtfeld's holdings," he lied. "I can't believe I even considered an alliance with the man a while ago.

"What is it?" he asked when his guard made a hum of confusion.

"The Eleven maid that was left with me," he explained. "I think she may actually be a ghost. Every time I tried to leave the guest wing, she's suddenly just there, then she'll show me back to the parlor. I just couldn't shake her."

Lelouch scoffed. "Then your afternoon was more interesting than mine." He crossed his legs and propped his head against his fist in a show of boredom. "I'm having a most difficult time to come up with a convincing reason for a return visit."

"You plan to return, your highness?"

"At the very least, your encounter with that Eleven maid had me curious," he explained. "There may actually be something to be uncovered behind his apparent mediocrity."

"Should we take Hochstein with us next time?"

"No, that would only alarm them, I believe," he countered. "We'll need to make it seem like another friendly visist."

"Of course, your highness," Sir Rittenberg replied, just as they were pulling into Villa Ashford, his residence while in Area 11. Rittenberg alighted while the valet took over the driver's seat and he opened the door for Lelouch to disembark.

"I will be in the library," the told the butler upon entering the villa, "I am not to be disturbed until dinnertime."

"Yes, your highness."

"Sir Rittenberg," he turned to his guard, "stand guard outside. I need to think."

"Of course, your highness," he replied. He would relay that order to Sir Hochstein, Lelouch knew, so he could be alone with only his thoughts.

The fact alone that Kallen had indeed survived and safe with her family already made him feel as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Death had not yet claimed her. The vision he saw could still come to pass, if only she would return to his side.

It would be a gamble, but not one purely from luck. He would need to work hard to have her back. Harder, even, than when he first got her to pilot for him.

When he first broke her, leaving her alone gave her an opportunity for her true self to surface. Her current state, however...

His fists tighten. This, too, was his fault. He had still been reeling from the loss of his mother. He had left her surrounded by his enemies, while he naively pursued the trail of what he should have seen as an obvious distraction.

He had learned nothing. She had paid the price.

Yet despite all reason pointing to the contrary, Lord Stadtfeld believed he would do her good. The man must have been desperate to have his daughter back to even consider him as a positive force for her healing..

However, if he were truly honest with himself, he, too, wanted her back.

The fire in her eyes whenever she challenged him.

Her genuine smiles when she spent time in the simulators.

Her shivers, whines, and the sound of his name on her lips when--

He shook his head. He shouldn't expect her to return exactly as she was before the attack. Even if she were to regain her memories, there was no telling whether or not she would still want to be involved with him. After all, she was no longer a mere traitor that had no rights, but the heir to a noble household that held considerable influence.

Taking his status as the bastard prince into consideration, they would practically be of near-equal standing. For her to even consider allying herself with him--

He mentally kicked himself. He was thinking too far ahead. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to keep seeing Kallen in her current state, yet. It would be very much a struggle to not let his guilt dictate his choices while in her presence.

If he were to fully embrace Lelouch Lamperouge, however...

Decision made, he activated the untraceable phone that Lord Stadtfeld handed him earlier, and opened the only contact saved within. The man that could help him arrange secret visits to Stadtfeld Manor without raising suspicion from his staff and might even able to keep his personal guards in the dark about his true purpose. Stadtfeld's claims might be fantastic, but he would ultimately be the judge of whether the risks involved would not outweigh the reward.

"'Jeremiah Gottwald', huh?"

A/N

So, I managed to get into contact with the author of the fanfic that inspired this one, and so this chapter is here! Yay! In their earlier chapters, they played with the idea of Kallen escaping evil Lelouch and meeting him again as the Stadtfeld heir, with him puzzling out if she was the same person or not.

In this fic, I took everything until their chapter 15 (The Family Friend) as basis and branched out to play with a similar scenario, but with their relationship a bit more developed, Lelouch knowing who she is and Kallen not knowing who he is.

I am presently writing the rest of this fic backwards, because I already had an ending in mind, but not how to get there quite yet. If 2023 ends without my posting another chapter, I'm gonna be writing a timeskip-ey chapter and the other chapters already written and mark this complete. I DO want to flesh this out, but I think If I get stuck for too long, I'll forget what I originally had in mind, and... that's what happened to Kaitou Red Lotus, sorry m(_ _)m

As always, feedback is appreciated.

~ryder77