Summary: Lelouch has lost many things in his young life some things denied because he is a prince, some because of a series of tragic events. When Lelouch starts to isolate himself from the world and turn inside of himself his siblings are determined to rebuild the Lelouch that they knew and help him find a new reason to live.

Not a Slash, but I have not decided the pairing should I put up a pole for you to vote?

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. No matter how much money I offer the owners, they just won't sell it. So I settled for this. Enjoy.

Review Please!

"Speak"

Flashbacks or previous chapters

So my young brother will you become an El Brittannia?" Schneizel asked with a slight smirk as he waited for Lelouch's reaction.

Three Days Later (Aries Palace)

Lelouch watched from the foyer as the Nunnally was rolled into the palace and told that she should not exhaust herself either emotionally or physically in anyway for at least a few more days to ensure a proper recovery. Nunnally had been released from the hospital just hours ago after numerous debates with the doctors.

Debates in which Lelouch had basically told them they were quote "incompetent idiots who sought only to further his sister's discomfort by treating her as a lab rat to be poked and prodded for test that served no purpose other than to confirm what had already been confirmed (mainly his sisters inability to see or walk) and secure his suspicion that the doctors medical education did not extend beyond that of a high school sex course."

His sister had been in a medically induced coma for a week and had in that time recovered sufficiently enough from her injuries to be released into the care of her brother, though the Imperial hospital had argued that a mere boy of 8 years old could not care for his now handicap sister.

It had taken three days but his sister was finally in a familiar setting that she could relax in. Lelouch had been sure to have the wing furthest from the crime scene as possible clean and prepared for his sisters return.

"Nunnally, welcome home" Lelouch finally stated after the doctor had left and Nunnally had turned to where she thought he was.

Nunnally merely smiled as a reply and asked her brother to show her to her room so that she could sleep, it had been after an exhausting journey for her after being in a coma for a week.

Lelouch had studied Nunnally's behavior after she woken from her medical coma and had found that she exhausted easily and needed to be in bed before the sun even started to lower if she was to stay awake the following day. This behavior, Lelouch had found out, was common among patients recently woken from comas longer then two days. And so Lelouch guided Nunnally to her room and helped her get from her wheelchair to the bed before bidding her good night and leaving.

Lelouch had walked to the foyer on the east wing of the Aries Palace where his mother had lost her life in order to think. He could still see his mother laying there dead while his sister was frozen in pain and shock underneath her. In the 7 days following his mother's death he had thought about what he had to do to ensure his sister's continued wellbeing and how everything would affect her however in the last three days he had thought about the affects on himself as well. Schneizel's offer of a new family had startled Lelouch into silence. The El Brittannian family was prestigious they had more social standing than any other clan even that of the first prince's and were notorious for there close family ties. In the El Brittannian clan if you cared their name you protected from everything, even the Emperor himself.

Schneizel had always been his favorite half-sibling and he knew his mother, who always acted the part of the cold Imperial consort and mother of the second heir to the throne, loved those she considered her family with a fierceness equal to that of his own late mother. But ... should he except his brother's offer. The benefits would ensure his small families safety and ensure that Nunnally could grow up with a mother figure to nurture her. And he … he could live without all the stress and he would have time to find his mother assassins before the trail ran cold.

Lelouch saw the benefits of accepting Schneizel's offer and he saw very little negative side effects. The only thing stopping him from replying to his brother's question was the thought of his mother.

Would accepting his brother's offer and changing his name be a betrayal of his mother? The Vi Brittannian name he and Nunnally carried was the only thing that they truly had left of their mother. If they were to be adopted into the El Brittannian clan they would lose their name. There was also Nunnally's age to consider at the age of 5 she would not be able to remember her mother if she were to be replaced by another figure. Could Lelouch allow that to happen?

No, Lelouch decided he could not allow his mother to be forgotten but he also could not pass up his sister's chance at a new family and a nurturing environment. He would accept the adoption and he would make sure that Nunnally remembered her mother while still accepting Schneizel's.

His answer decided Lelouch walked off to check on Nunnally one more time before making arrangements to tell his brother his answer.

Schneizel's POV

It had been three days since he had talked to his little brother. Three days since he had made the offer to adopt his favorite sibling and finally be able to protect him. Three days Schneizel had waited for his brother's answer and he knew that if Lelouch still had not reached a decision by the end of the fourth day his brother would decide to answer no.

Schneizel remembered three days ago when he had made the offer to adopt his younger brother and sister into his clan.

Flashback:

"So my young brother will you become an El Brittannia?" Schneizel asked with a slight smirk as he waited for Lelouch's reaction.

It took a while for Lelouch to register the question however after he had he just stared at Schneizel as if he had just told Lelouch that the moon was actually made of cheese.

Lelouch's speechlessness lasted for no more than a second though before he quickly composed himself and stared thoughtfully at his brother.

Schneizel watched as Lelouch tried to decipher the meaning behind such an offer. In the Royal Family there was nothing that was freely given and the larger the favor the larger the debt.

Schneizel knew that Lelouch would need time to carefully consider all the pro's and con's of becoming his brother in name as well as blood. It was after a large change in his brother's life and would have an effect on both his and his sister's future.

So instead of pushing Lelouch to answer immediately, which would most likely end in a negative response, he gave Lelouch three days to think on the offer and no longer. He had labored to persuade his father in allowing the adoption ever since the death of Lady Marianna and he feared should he wait to long the Emperor would decide his original course of action was the best.

After setting the time limit for Lelouch's answer he gently kissed Nunnally's forehead and bid them goodbye for the next few days.

End flashback

While Schneizel had known that the likelihood that Lelouch would immediately accept his offer was almost non-existent he had still hoped that Lelouch would have told him then and there.

Schneizel was a patient man and when it came to something that he desperately wanted he had the patients most men could only dream of having. But now was not the time for his patients. With everyday Lelouch and Nunnally lived without the protection of clan the danger they found themselves in increased. Within the protection of a royal clan they would be protected from inside dangers, especially in his clan where they would be untouchable.

And so it was with very little patients that Schneizel had waited for the three day time limit to end and have his answer.

Schneizel would do anything to protect his precious brother and he could do now if Lelouch would just answer faster.

"Your highness" one of the El Brittannian servants stated bringing him out of his musing on protecting Lelouch. "The young Prince Lelouch has requested that you join him for tea at the Aires Palace garden in an hour. How shall I respond you Highness?"

"Tell Prince Lelouch that I shall be there within the hour. Also request after an audience with my mother regarding the new addition to our family tell her that I will return before dinner to make the proper arrangements on e way or another." Schneizel stated as he prepared the papers that would be needed should Lelouch choose to answer yes during the meeting.

"It will be done, Your Highness" with a bow the servant left Schneizel as he prepared to finally hear Lelouch's answer. This would be an interesting evening tea.