A/N and Disclaimer:

EDIT: 5/20/16: Corrected the name of my other fanfic in ending A/N. No content changes made.

Hello to all,

Welcome back to another chapter of "From Guilt, Resolve." I apologize for this chapter taking so long to put up. An explanation and full apology are at the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Code Geass or any of the characters appearing in it.

Geass

Thoughts or occasionally for emphasis

"Preludes" followed by -Source

Chapter 3: Zero

Suzaku's eyes sent pulsing waves of agony racing through him as the blinding directional lamp flickered on again. The reflexive flinch triggered another spasm in his aching shoulders, and he bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. It became clear soon after he was arrested that the straitjacket was itself an instrument of torture. The garment was cinched just so to make it feel like a prisoner's shoulders were about to be dislocated… and then left that way to inflict steadily mounting pain. Suzaku shook his head and blinked in an attempt to relieve his eyes, but the reprieve ended when a heavy baton thudded down across his shoulder blades, spinning him from the chair, his vision bursting into stars as he hit something on the way down.

"Get him up." As he was dragged back into his chair, Suzaku tasted copper in his mouth. There was blood—his blood, he realized—on the corner of the metal table. Blinking his eyes a few more times and shaking his head to clear it, he raised his eyes to face his newest interrogator.

The oddly pleasurable sensation of something cold drifting along CC's skin made her shudder and stir from her slumber. Really, she'd been at least semi-awake for some time, if she was being honest. Lelouch had woken her when he got up several hours ago to order Zero's costume early enough that it would be ready for tonight, and she'd only dozed since then. "Lelouch, I'm trying to sleep," she muttered. The touch continued its lazy circles along her exposed arm, just barely brushing against her flesh, gently tickling her skin. Allowing her mind to wander, CC thought about last night. She'd expected him to be more uncomfortable, if truth be told, but while inexperienced and awkward he hadn't been as hesitant or embarrassed as she'd worried he might be. She was disturbed when she realized the sensation hadn't ceased. Rolling over to face her partner—lover, she corrected happily—she tried to glare at the prince lying beside her, but he wasn't looking at her, instead staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. "Lelouch!"

"Mm? Oh." His fingers stopped moving abruptly. "Good morning, Cera." He used it deliberately, but didn't over-emphasize it, simply letting it come out naturally. And it was perfect.

He let the sound of her true name hang in the air. A thrill went through her body, happiness chasing off any earlier annoyance. CC had slept with many men over the years, but she couldn't remember the last time when she was with one who cared for anything beyond physical pleasure. Certainly not for centuries, at least. But Lelouch was different. He wasn't just after her body or her code or anything else. He loved her. He really loved her. A single, happy tear rolled down her cheek. "You said it right this time," she said softly, almost hoarsely.

"I'm glad you liked it." She stayed silent, content to let him finish. "I wish I was brave enough to confess to you sooner."

"I knew your reasons and didn't mind, and now it doesn't matter."

I'm—"

"Don't say it, Lelouch." Why was it that every conversation since he'd killed his father inevitably devolved into self-criticism and flagellation? Despite all his normally calculating logic, he was completely unreasonable when he was feeling guilty. "I don't care that I had to wait another few months. All that matters is that we're together now." She punctuated her statement with a kiss, holding it long enough to roll over and straddle him before drawing back and looking down at him, her hair hanging down to frame his face.

"But I—"

"Lelouch! Shut up." CC cover his mouth with her hand to ensure he listened to her for once. How ironic that people thought that she was the more stubborn of the two of them. She wasn't the one who'd held a gun to her own head to get her partner to let them make a stupid decision. She wasn't the one who had insisted on taking stupid, unnecessary risks like trying to single-handedly fight the Lancelot. "It doesn't matter. Do. You. Understand?" She waited until Lelouch nodded before removing her hand. CC set herself down to lie idly on his chest, purring as he began toying with her hair. "You are the most infuriatingly person on earth when you're feeling guilty, you know that?"

The prince scoffed. "Not Suzaku?"

"He's bad too, but not like you. When he gets angry at himself, he does something about it, . You just mope around and brood about how terrible you are."

He shrugged, unable to deny her words, but didn't respond. They lay there together, barely moving, for what seemed like forever. "You know," Lelouch finally said, "I should probably go to class this morning. I need to tell Kallen to meet 'Zero' at the memorial."

"You can do that from here." Lelouch rolled his eyes as her hand patted around his bedside table until she found his phone and held it up. "That's was this is for, isn't it?"

"CC…"

"Fine." She reluctantly slid off of him. "But I'm going to introduce myself to Nunnally tonight, whether you're back or not."

"I might be a little late, but I wouldn't miss it." Lelouch said as he squeezed her hand and stood up, quickly pulling on his uniform. "I'll see you tonight, CC." He gave her a parting kiss as he ran out the door.

She shrugged in reply, though he didn't see her as he rushed out, and curled back up under the covers, perfectly content to doze off again. After all, it wasn't as if she had anywhere to be. That wouldn't be part of the plan. Despite understanding the reasoning behind trying to keep the important events close to the original timeline for now, it was still excruciating to be penned up in single room. Then again… It wasn't as if anyone would catch her if she went out, as long as she was careful. No one in the military actually knew what they'd been after in Shinjuku, after all. Why not—

"I see my son rescued you from Clovis," Marianne's voice echoed in her head, interrupting her thoughts and making CC groan. "Come now, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Shit. How had she acted last time? She remembered being nearly emotionless, but could she even pull that off anymore? "Earth to CC? Hello?"

"Shut up. I'm trying to sleep." She was suitably toneless, though a hint of anxiety might have come through in her voice

"It's 10 AM in Japan and you're still asleep, CC?" Marianne's voice was playful, almost mocking. "Just what were you doing last night with my son?"

Exactly what the deceased empress was implying she'd done, CC wanted to say, but that wouldn't do at all. "9 AM, actually, and I was sleeping in a bed for the first time in years, no thanks to you. Lelouch was quite a gentleman about it, actually; he slept on the couch."

"Oh. So you didn't have passionate sex after he saved your life?" Ugh. The immortal wasn't used to incessant teasing anymore. But still… something was off. She could quite place the feeling, unless…

CC's eyes narrowed. That was it. Marianne hadn't been nearly this…blunt last time, not until well after they'd gotten rid of Mao. But what had changed? "Why the hell would we do that? Don't project your silly fantasies on me."

"Well, he did save you," her former contractor said. "And emotional connection is a natural reation to stress, so—"

"I'm not some fairy tale damsel in distress, falling in love with whatever prince happens to come along to rescue me." CC wanted to going into the World of C and punch her in the face. Why had she ever agreed to work towards Ragnarok in the first place? She could never stand any of them. "And I wasn't in any danger anyway. If anything, I saved him."

"Alright, fine. Seriously, though, how are they doing? There hasn't been a way to get Anya to Japan in ages, so I haven't seen them in a while."

"I haven't seen Nunnally yet, and I didn't talk much to Lelouch, but he seems fine, other than the standard psychoses for a child whose mother was killed right in front of them."

"So he still wants to avenge me?"

"No, he plans to find his mother's killer and thank him for doing him a favor." CC couldn't believe Marianne was so insecure. What did she seriously think he was going to do? "Of course he's going to get revenge."

"Alright, alright. Take care of them, CC."

"Whatever." The immortal broke off the connection.

Back on the Sword of Akasha, Marianne vi Britannia turned to face her husband. "She knows something."

"CC does?" Charles raised his eyebrow. He'd only heard one side of the conversation.

"I'm certain of it. She was too angry when I teased her."

The emperor quirked his lips when he heard the confidence in his wife's voice. "I was under the impression that most people get annoyed when you make fun of them, my dear."

"Well, yes, but…" How could she explain this? "Look, CC doesn't—didn't—care about my teasing before. She'd just ignore it. But this time she was angry, and it wasn't just for being locked up by Clovis. She started getting defensive when I joked about them sleeping together." Marianne paced back and forth, trying to figure out what made her so uneasy. "It just…"

"It's different." Charles finished for her. "Something's off, and combined with what Lelouch said, it's too much to be a coincidence."

"Exactly!" She stopped walking and spun on her heel to face Charles. "She knows something, even if it's just from the residual memories from when they sealed the contract," Marianne said, referencing the fragmented memories that were a natural side effect of giving someone Geass. "Hell, I'm not sure I wouldn't put money on them sleeping together last night after how sensitive she was about it. At the very least, she cares for him already in some way, which is already more than she does for any of us. We were always means to an end."

Her husband nodded slowly. CC's behavior, especially when taken with his son's, was unquestionably worrisome. "Agreed. We'll need to respond. The Knights of the Round are tied up in Europe at the moment, though."

"Send Cornelia to keep a lid on it." Charles shot a surprised glance at her. Marianne usually didn't give policy recommendations. "We can't send any of the Rounds without letting slip that we know something's wrong, especially with the European front being so precarious right now, but she's almost done in the Middle East—no more than a day or two, knowing her—and it won't be a shocking move to anyone that you'd send her to deal with another troublesome Area; the only other option is Schneizel."

Charles stroked his beard gently; it was an old habit of his that he'd broken long ago, but it resurfaced on occasion when he was thinking deeply. "And Euphemia's presence might even discourage Lelouch from destabilizing the situation further, assuming he still has affection for her. Hmm. We still need eyes and ears in Area Eleven as soon as possible once Europe has calmed down, though. Do you want to go? Or Bismarck? We need someone who knows everything."

"I'll go. Bismarck would tip off VV and maybe even CC and Lelouch, but sending a junior Knight of the Round would make sense. Maybe send Weinberg with me?"

They continued to discuss the details for some time before Marianne finally had to return to Anya's body. Left alone, Charles looked back at the Sword of Akasha before descending the stairs to the Thought Elevator. "How do you know CC, my son? And what game are the two of you playing?"

"So this Lelouch guy told you that his boss would meet us here?" Ohgi put a voice to the same doubts that the rest of the resistance members were having. To be honest, she couldn't blame them.

"I know it's crazy, but it's the only lead we've got, and I kinda trust Lelouch." She reddened at her leader's raised eyebrow and smile. There were downsides to having an immediate superior who was also a surrogate older brother. The thought sent a familiar pang of loss through her, but she ignored it, as usual. "Not like that! It's just that his reasons for fighting are very similar to mine," she said. "Even though he's Britannian, he hates the Empire as much as we do. He would do anything to let his sister live more happily, and that means destroying Britannia."

"Why does he need to destroy Britannia for his sister?"

Belatedly, she remembered the promise she had made to her fellow student. "He…he made me promise not to say too much." Kallen was saved from explaining further by a vibration in her pocket. She pulled out the phone Lelouch had given her and flipped it open. "Yes?"

"I'm glad you all came. Get on the westbound train leaving at 4:15 and come to the front car. I'll be waiting for you there." There was a click on the end of the line and Kallen hissed in frustration. He'd better not keep doing that if they formally started working together.

It was a good five minutes before Lelouch heard the door at the back of the car slide open "Was it you who engineered the ceasefire? Hey, answer us!" He hadn't given them the 'tour' this time. In retrospect, it had been a foolish ploy to denigrate the opinions of those he was trying to persuade. It was shocking that even Kallen and Ohgi had followed him back then, but hindsight was perfect, after all. Still, he had to make them understand his goals somehow.

"Tell me, what do you think your actions accomplish, Kaname Ohgi?" He asked as he turned around, revealing his masked visage to his soon-to-be allies.

"What?" Of all the things Zero could have said, that was not what he'd had expected.

"In the grand scheme of things, what has your resistance done for the Japanese people?" Lelouch walked over to the window overlooking the ghettos, the familiar, decade-old ruins stretching out toward the sunset. He remembered when he had reached the edge of what had even then been the Britannian quarter, looking out at a very similar sight. Nunnally had been sleeping. It hadn't been safe for Suzaku to continue with them, but it wasn't far from here that he'd made that first oath to destroy Britannia.

"We're making their lives better," Kallen said angrily, answering for her leader. "That's why we fought in Shinjuku." How could he say something like that? Wasn't it obvious?

"Then why do people still become Honorary Britannians, Q-1? Are you fighting for them or for revenge?" He turned his head back toward them. "I don't deny that I fight for revenge; so does Lelouch. But what have you accomplished for these people? Honorary Britannians still live far better lives than those too prideful to work for their oppressors."

"How can you say we aren't doing anything? We saved the people of Shinjuku and—"

"Then why did nine hundred seventy-three people die?" Lelouch shook his head. It was incredible, really, how people could still simply fail to grasp the consequences of their actions. "You didn't 'save' them, you put them at risk. You stole poison gas and tried to hide it inside of a populated area, and almost half the ghetto's population died for it." None of them dared answer him. "And even if you were successful, such actions accomplish nothing, change nothing. So long as Britannia and its damnable Emperor remain, the only result is harder crackdowns and more dead Japanese. You aren't thinking of the end goal."

"And what's that? Killing Charles zi Britannia and tearing down his empire?" Tamaki asked incredulously.

"Yes." Kallen was just as surprised as her friends when she heard herself speak up. The blank mask cocked his head at her. "Lelouch wouldn't be working with you otherwise, right? He's fighting for revenge first, and that means thinking beyond Japan." And he really wouldn't, she realized. She could empathize wholeheartedly with his need for revenge. "He wants Britannia itself ground into dust."

Zero nodded. "Perhaps not all of it, but he certainly hates its government and philosophy, though I wouldn't say that he fights for revenge first. He truly does care about the Japanese people. But he won't accept stopping short of destroying those who wronged him and his sister, so our long-term goals align because of the realities of power." The costumed figure strode forward to stand before them, hands calmly clasped behind him. "As long as Britannia's policy is constant expansion, they won't—can't—simply abandon Japan."

"Shit. You're talking about the sakuradite," Ohgi said, finally coming to the realization Lelouch had been waiting impatiently for one of them to grasp.

"Exactly!" Zero waved his hand dismissively. "What do a few lives here or there—or even the entire Britannian population of Tokyo—mean to the Emperor? Britannia's place in the world requires sakuradite; to strike a real blow against them, we need to undermine the system itself; until that happens, nothing will change!" Lelouch stretched his hands out to encompass both halves of Tokyo. "Fighting to liberate Japan alone is noble but ultimately hopeless. You target the Britannian people as a proxy for their oppressive rulers, but they aren't at fault; it is their bastard of an emperor who has done this."

Kallen narrowed her eyes. She didn't dispute his reasoning, but still... "Even if we agree, who are you, really? Aren't you going to take off your mask?" The other resistance members echoed their agreement.

"I won't endanger those I love by doing that. Tell me, Q-1: if Naoto was still alive, but revealing yourself as a terrorist would endanger him, would you choose not to fight, or would you conceal your identity from everyone, including your allies, to protect him? This face," Lelouch gestured at his mask, "does not belong to me. It belongs to the people, and it will bring justice. Tonight, I am going to show that to the world." He had them at the Naoto line. Everyone has something they are willing to protect; Schneizel said that to him years ago. It's only ever a question of finding that drive and harnessing it towards a common goal. "I will tell you when I feel it is safe for my loved ones, but not before. Knowing that, will you join me to fight Britannia and bring peace to this world?"

"I… am Zero!"

Lelouch grinned as he made the familiar declaration. CC had finally convinced him that practicality and cold calculation should win out over the sentimental entanglement that had become his greatest weakness, especially with regard to other people. This time, though, even she would surely forgive him a little beat of theatrics. It was time for the world to know his name. Lelouch didn't even notice what Jeremiah was saying until the second squad of Sutherlands dropped onto the road around him.

"Now you can remove that mask!" Jeremiah's tone was as arrogant as ever. It was almost sad that the purist still believed he was in control of the situation.

With a snap of his fingers, the thin walls concealing the 'gas' canister collapsed. Lelouch could hear the crowd begin to murmur, unnerved by the ominous device behind him. The reaction of the purists, on the other hand, was considerably more dramatic. "Are you going to shoot me?" He asked Gottwald as the purist leveled his pistol. "I'm sure you realize the consequences of that."

"It doesn't matter!" Jeremiah gritted his teeth. Even with the poison gas, he couldn't allow some random malcontent to ruin their chance to finally be rid of the Honorary Britannian system.

"And why should I listen to you, Jeremiah Gottwald, when you are about to knowingly hang an innocent man?"

"He killed Prince Clovis and he'll die for it!"

"No, he didn't. I did!" Lelouch signaled Kallen to roll closer to Jeremiah's knightmare. "Suzaku Kururugi is innocent, unless being a loyal servant of a corrupt empire that hates him is a crime."

"How dare you come here then?! I will have your head!"

"And endanger all these bystanders with exposure to the late viceroy's experimental weapons? To Code R? I was told that you were at least an honorable man, but perhaps you have changed in the last seven years." The murmuring in the crowd grew much louder now, and some people at the edges started to back away.

What? Seven years? That would be… Aries? Jeremiah's eyes shot wide. "What do you—"

"We are being broadcast live all over Japan, Margrave." Lelouch interrupted him before his future knight could say anything suspicious. "The choice is yours. Save the lives of a thousand Britannian civilians… or take mine." Zero flung his arms out to either side as he spoke offering himself as a target.

Gottwald ground his teeth together. There was no doubt in his mind that the bastard was grinning under his mask, but logic was still logic. He and the Purists would be blamed for it if civilians died; even worse, if the gas was released, it would undoubtedly kill this 'Zero', and with him any chance of finding out what he knew about the prince he had come to this wretched Area to serve all those years ago. "Let the prisoner go, Villetta."

"Lord Gottwald, he admitted to murdering our Prince!" Kewell readied his weapons.

"Follow my orders, Kewell!" Jeremiah opened a private channel with the other Purists, muting the microphone Diethard had given him for the occasion so no one else would hear. "The canister is the same poison gas that the terrorists stole in Shinjuku. If this 'Zero' character releases it here, every bystander dies, and we—the Purists—will be blamed for it."

"He's right." Thank God for disciplined soldiers. Gottwald had become a Purist because he was in the area where his prince had presumably died. Kewell was simply a dyed-in-the-wool racist who was devoted to the aristocratic ideal, and hated commoners almost as much as he did Numbers. The only reason that Jeremiah hadn't gotten rid of the bastard was because he was a vicious attack dog of a man once he got his teeth in a problem and he had too many family connections. "We'd kill him for certain, but we can't very well prosecute Kururugi now and maintain legitimacy, and if that gas goes off we lose everything," she continued. "Honestly, it's probably the best way out for us too. If that wannabe knight joins Zero as I assume he will, then we're vindicated in charging him with terrorism and heroes of the common people for putting their lives above revenge. It gives Zero what he wants too, but that doesn't change that it's still a good choice."

Traces of the woman who had been heavily scouted for the Office of Military Intelligence, or OMI, could be heard in her thorough analysis, and Jeremiah almost smiled in relief, though he could heard his more zealous subordinate grinding his teeth over the radio. "Don't misunderstand me, Kewell. We will kill him. He embarrassed the Purists, and he will pay for it. But not today." Kewell grunted in frustration but lowered his weapon. Jeremiah turned his attention back to the terrorist and waved Kururugi to walk over to him. "I accept your terms, Zero. The Eleven for the canister."

"I expected no less, Margrave. Now if you'll excuse me," Zero said as the cab of the truck unfolded itself into a construction frame, "I think that I'll just leave this here for you, as… insurance of your good behavior." He waved to the gas canister. "Until next time, Lord Gottwald!" He bowed mockingly at the Margrave as the frame made its escape

"DAMMIT!" Kewell's knightmare again readied its weapon.

"Stand down!" Jeremiah leveled his own frame's rifle at Kewell cockpit. "One life for a thousand, Kewell. I won't hesitate."

Suzaku Kururugi looked around the abandoned building that Zero had taken him to. It had been a theater of some sort before the war, but a thick layer of dust and debris covered everything. The room felt almost like the echoes of the final performance still lingered, the half-remembered legacy of a once-proud tradition.

"It's quite depressing, isn't it? Remembering what has been lost." His attention was drawn to the shadowy figure standing calmly on the largest chunk of the collapsed ceiling. Zero. His 'rescuer'. "They have taken so much."

"Yes." Suzaku couldn't deny the man's words. "But it doesn't mean that more violence will solve anything. Why did you kill Clovis? You'll just antagonize the Britannians."

"Because it was justice, Suzaku Kururugi. Under any fair court, he would have been tried and convicted of countless charges, many carrying the death penalty; you are well aware of that, after Shinjuku. If there was any chance of bringing him to justice in court, I might've done so." Zero paused for a moment, then shrugged. "Or perhaps I would not have. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I had a very personal reason for wanting him dead."

"So you would sacrifice innocent lives for personal reasons?" Suzaku wanted to punch the mask. Zero was just another terrorist, and more delusional than most. "What kind of champion is that? Do you really think you have honor?"

"He hurt the one person I could not possibly give up and nearly took her from me! If your closest friend or loved one was threatened, can you say that you would not protect them however you could?!" His caped shoulders seemed to slump, like his outburst had drained him. The mask turned away as if in shame. "You are right, Kururugi. I am no champion, no knight of honor, no samurai of old. But as long as the people believe I'm a hero, then I can be one for them. After all, what is a hero, if not the manifestation of the hopes of an entire people?" Zero shook his head. "But I'm not. You already have judged me quite accurately in that way, if I'm not mistaken."

That… wasn't what Suzaku had expected to hear. "Then why did you take those people? They were innocent."

"I could make the argument that they are Britannians, but I don't believe that any innocents deserve death." the masked man said without turning to face him. "There was never any poison gas in the canister, as you well know; I saw you try to warn Gottwald of that. They were never in danger of anything except stray bullets."

"That doesn't change the fact that you threatened them!"

Zero gingerly stepped down from the debris before answering. "You're right. But tell me, Kururugi, which of us saved more of the people in Shinjuku: my opposition to Clovis or your actions piloting that white knightmare of yours." Suzaku froze as his adversary casually flaunted his knowledge, and the terrorist shrugged. "It wasn't that difficult to extrapolate from known facts, and your response only confirmed my suspicions. What do you think would have happened to the people you saved after the battle? Do you really believe he would have let them go?"

"That doesn't matter. You still are a criminal." Zero walked up to him, and Suzaku found himself staring at a distorted image of himself in the reflective faceplate, a twisted mirror. Could he have been this? He shook his head; it was just his reflection, distorted by the curvature.

The other man cocked his head to one side. "I envy people like you, Kururugi. I find your belief in honesty, honor, and law… admirable." The soldier was surprised to hear the wistfulness in Zero's voice. "You are the hero I wish I could be. The hero Japan deserves, and the hero of the future. But I am the one that it needs for now."

"What?"

"Some things must be destroyed before they can be rebuilt, Suzaku. Britannia is rotten, no matter what you tell yourself, and until it is gone no Area will be free."

Suzaku turned away in disgust and started toward the exit, rubble crunching underfoot. "Tell yourself what you will, Zero. But you are a monster. The ends will never justify the means, not how you want them to. That blood will be on your hands when the time comes, and I bring you to justice for it."

He heard a chuckle behind him. "Then I will welcome it as the day that I will no longer be needed, Suzaku Kururugi. Good luck at your trial."

"I'm home, Nunnally!" Lelouch called as he slipped his shoes off. It had taken him longer than he'd expected to get home, but he figured she'd still be waiting for him.

"Big brother! Did you hear?" Nunnally rolled out of the dining room to greet him. "They said Suzaku was innocent! I heard it on the radio while Ms. CC and I were eating dinner!"

"That's great! I told you he'd be OK." Looking up, Lelouch saw CC lean against the doorway and take a bite of pizza, and he was surprised to see her looking… well, normal. Like any other teenage girl might if they weren't required to wear uniform skirts. Her hair was still the same, but she wore new clothes: skinny jeans and a black t-shirt. Well, they were really his clothes, but it didn't matter. "Hey, CC"

"You did tell me that." Nunnally glared at him; he never figured out how she managed it with her eyes shut, but her displeasure was unmistakable. "But why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?! Don't deny it!"

CC shoved the last bit of pizza in her mouth put her hands out helplessly. "I didn't say anything," CC said through the food. She finally swallowed. "I won't deny it either, though."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nunnally asked again, pouting at Lelouch.

"I—" He didn't get a chance to finish his response.

"Because he's a boy. And a socially awkward one at that." He glared daggers at CC as she walked over to Nunnally's chair and crouched down to put an arm around her. "He's scared of having a girlfriend," she whispered loudly enough for him to hear, "despite our dating for over a year." He raised his eyebrow at that last part, but CC just made a face at him.

Lelouch eventually chose to ignore her comments entirely. "Look, CC will be staying with us for quite a while, Nunnally. You're right, she is my girlfriend—" he supposed that if they'd already confessed their love and slept with each other, saying they were in a relationship was probably fair "—and I care very much for her."

"Wait. Are you… did you…" Nunnally turned back and forth between them, thinking quickly. She was only fourteen, but even she knew what it meant when a girlfriend moved in with her boyfriend. "But that means…are you going to get married?!" Her voice was a screech by the time she finished. At least their quarters had been sound proofed, or Lelouch would have been worried about Milly hearing it from her dorm. Still, he groaned quietly. It was going to be a long night.

A/N:

First of all, I want to apologize for how long this took me to put up. There was a family situation that I had to deal with, and that compounded with writer's block for parts of the chapter made it entirely too easy to delay. I probably rewrote this entire chapter at least once while revising it, if not more, and I'm still not thrilled with how it came out, but I just wanted to get it out there as promised and move on.

So anyway, my apologies for the 9 day delay and the single chapter update instead of the intended two, but hopefully I will be more efficient. The same family situation that delayed the chapter somewhat also ended up pushing back when I could start my summer job, so I have a little more time to make up for being behind.

Separately, I'm curious at to what people's responses would be if I included a lemon? I'm still not sure if I feel comfortable writing one, but there are places where it just feels awkward to do a fade to black, like at the end of this chapter. I wasn't about to write three pages about Nunnally freaking out, but it would have made sense to include something afterwards; in fact, I had most of such a scene written, its just that the scene transition felt super awkward. Feedback on that would be appreciated. Also, there is no prelude this chapter since there isn't a whole lot to say that isn't spoilery.

I've also posted the first chapter of another CG fic, named "The Price of Vengeance." The premise is that Nunnally was killed during the invasion and Lelouch stayed with the Ashford family as a foster child, instead of simply being at the Academy. Similar stories have been done, but it's interesting and fun to write. Lelouch will be dark. REALLY dark, going by his behavior in the parts I have so far. Have I mentioned I like dark main characters? That said, "From Guilt, Resolve" (Which I will refer to as FGR in later A/N's) will still be my focus.

Thanks for your patience. I'll aim to get the next chapter up at some point in the next week, but no promises after what happened last week (sorry again), especially with Warhammer Total War coming out so soon. Thank you to all those who followed, favorited, or reviewed—more are always welcome. And now...

Responses to Reviews:

Thank you to adiaz2049 and Paradox009 for their kind words.

Emareyes87: Clu-Clu is love. Clu-Clu is life. Clu-Clue will never die. Just like polka (Dead Beat from the Dresden files for the reference).

Lordban: Umm. Yes. That would be a suitable response, though not immediately necessary. What can I say? I like to break characters and make them suffer, even my favorites. I think it's why I liked watching Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero.

Finally, last and certainly not least I want to give a huge, giant, spirit bomb of a shout-out to fanfiction exe, although I also (in part) blame him(/her) for this chapter taking so long. See, his(/her) reviews and our PM conversation afterwards were a great help to me, and led me to go and search for a writer's blog, which led to me spending a full day reading everything on the blog, which then led to me pulling my best depressed Lelouch imitation for a day because I realized how much more I needed to do, and then I pretty much threw out all of my draft up to that point. I'm a bit of a perfectionist sometimes. That said, I found the blog incredibly useful in how it talked about the analytical side of how to write fiction, like smoothing out transitions in perspective, understanding psychic distance, and balancing showing vs telling vs feeling, and so on. Obviously it didn't magically fix all my problems, but it gave me stuff to focus on, which really helped me, as detail-oriented as I am. The name of the blog is "This Itch of Writing" for anyone who's interested, and it's also the first hit when you google "ping pong dialogue," which is how I found it. So thanks again to fanfiction exe for that.