Hello Simply Hopeless here and oh my gosh I'm so, so sorry I haven't been updating any of my stories in like possibly two years. I swear my writing muse decided to abandon me one day and I'm still reluctantly dragging it back. I don't own Code Geass, but this story is mine. I have many fingers in the pie, but I wanted to make sure to update this story today. I hope there are people out there who still enjoy this story. It's full of warm, squishy, sugary goodness so dig in and please leave a comment. Hopefully positive. I mean come on, this chapter is 3x bigger than the previous ones. Look at my profile for possible update times.

Safe and Sound

"We're going to be late." Lelouch grumbled this even as he politely accepted a flute of chilled orange juice.

He wasn't some lush that would allow alcohol to touch his lips before 6 p.m. So when one of the assistants from Peu de Cutie, a posh designer pet clothing store, offered him and his sister two flutes of champagne the first time around he gave them a withering look. Then he suggested they offer them something more appropriate for the time of day like orange juice and maybe a bowl of fresh, seedless fruit for his pet.

Lelouch reclined backwards in the overly plush chaise lounge chair in the carefully divided viewing area. It was a viewing area that afforded him and his party: privacy, a changing room, a small dais in which to showcase the outfits, a small coffee table with carefully fanned out Designer Pet magazines and a personal assistant that hovered anxiously in the corner to serve any of the rich customers' whims.

His long legs stretched out before him and crossed at the ankles as he settled in for a long, tedious parade of outfits. Since his sister had spent a few minutes looking, squealing, scuffing, and hesitating over outfits outside of the viewing area before even trying it on Suzaku, the author had diplomatically took it upon his self to purchase a few clothes to save some time.

He knew as soon as he and his party of two walked through the door, the scanner at the store's entrance would scan each potential customer's body in order to retrieve measurements; then scan the tags of their clothes to see where their tastes seem to drift towards. Instantly pop ups of clothes that catered to each individual's sizes and personal tastes, as well as one or two running commercials appeared around them in small, hovering, translucent screens with their volumes muted for the customer's convenience.

Without even thinking much about it Lelouch swatted away the commercials like annoying gnats. Deft fingers minimized the rest of the windows that piqued his interest until Lelouch was ready to look at them at his leisure before crooking his finger for the rest to follow. The floating screens obediently trailed behind him and his sister, hovering within an arm's length away until he summoned one or more to peruse.

If it wasn't for the fact that the scanners were actually time savers and never scanned his personal information, like credit card numbers, social security numbers and/or personal ID, then he would have felt more violated instead of slightly annoyed. The computer screen, currently hovering a little to his left, was open to a page full of different pet collars and although he had already picked out a posh Italian leather leash for Suzaku's animal form and a panda backpack leash for Suzaku's human form, he couldn't figure what type of collar would suit Suzaku best.

This type of decision would cement the fact that he had every intention of owning this small, bubbly creature and finally try to get over Shirley. It didn't matter that he had already given into those pleading green eyes in his kitchen and had grown attached to the squeaking, wiggling human pup in such a short time. The leash and the microchip that would be implanted in Suzaku's ear at the veterinarian's office would be physical proof of his claim on this designer pet for the entire world to see.

So he naturally hesitated, despite having several outfits already rung up and laid at his feet in colorful big bags marked Peu de Cutie and one or two from the Marc Jacobs next door. Most of the bags were of course clothes for Suzaku. One outfit was for his self since his book signing outfit needed to be laundered before he could properly wear it again after Suzaku jumped him in the kitchen. And the rest of the parcels were a few dresses he thought would look cute on his adorable little sister.

Just because part of him still feared Shirley being lost to him if he allowed Suzaku to take over his waking moments, didn't mean Lelouch wasn't going to spoil Suzaku rotten until he was ready to accept reality. He wasn't much for shopping when it came to himself, preferring comfortable, casual clothes that were better suited being worn around the house. But when it came to those he favored, his credit card had no limit.

"I'm still picking out clothes for little Suzaku," Nunnally finally spoke up from the dressing room. "There is such a large selection for canine designer pets that they must be very popular for Peu de Cutie to have. Then again when you go to most normal pet stores or stores with pet selections they usually have more things for canines than any other pets, including cats, which is a shame. But oh, you really should come back and see these.

"There are duckies, choo choo trains, little paw prints on designed everything, from little pajamas all the way down to winter apparel and former wear. Honestly, Aniki, you can't expect Suzaku to go to your book signing wearing nothing but your old gym t-shirt from college, do you? I mean sure it hangs on him like a nightgown; but he nearly tripped over it more than once and he doesn't have underwear. Don't want him giving everyone a show by showing his yoo-hoo or his cute little tushie, now do we? That's why I've already had one of the assistants order some PPBs. They should be arriving shortly," Nunnally happily babbled on. She only paused to take a breath or adjust the outfit she was probably putting on Suzaku before rambling on again.

"Do I want to know what PPBs are?" Lelouch interrupted, if only to allow his sister a chance to take more than a handful of breaths. He had yet to see a single outfit on Suzaku in the past hour. But he trusted his sister not to buy something too outrageous, especially with someone else's money.

"Well… It's an acronym for Pet Pamper Buddies. They are sooooo cute. They have a little hole for the tail so they can wag it freely without it getting dirty in their 'business', you know. Plus little paw prints appear on the PPBs after they pee. How ingenious, ne? Ohhh, I should get some of the same outfits, but a few sizes bigger so when he goes through his growth spurts he can continue to wear these adorable clothes," she began to happily babble again, in shopper's bliss.

Lelouch hummed and nodded mechanically at what his sister was saying, but his mind had already been redirected. Currently his attention had drifted to the cell phone he was holding in the hand not holding his flute of orange juice. The screen lit up and buzzed angrily after it had been silenced from playing the dungeon theme to Super Mario Bros. 3. '12 Missed Calls, 6 text messages & 2 e-mails' were listed neatly one after the other to show how eager his frantic publicist was to reach him. He didn't need to open any to know what they would say. It was fifteen minutes before his public appearance at his book signing and he was the type who usually showed up an hour or two early to gigs just to map out his escape routes. So for someone as anal and prompt as him to be cutting it so close, with only a simple text saying 'Something came up. Will be a little late,' wasn't going to fly with Milly Ashford.

Milly was rich, sexy, busty, bossy, and blonde; but the adjective that best described her was pure, unadulterated evil. From the top of her carefully highlighted honey blonde hair, all the way down to her staggering high sandaled Donner Karan shoes, she was an evil genius who thrived on toying with people for her own personal amusement and gain. He had found himself over and over again her partner-in-crime in his junior and senior high school years, despite wanting to keep a low profile. He couldn't escape her.

Lelouch only admitted grudgingly, years later in the privacy of his own home that he enjoyed some of her more elaborate plans because whatever you may say about Milly Ashford, she was far from boring. It also helped that the blonde bombshell cared for him, even if it was somewhat because there were few things that held her attention like her favorite 'pet project'. He was more than sure he was the closest thing to a best friend she had because he didn't fawn and give in so easily to her whims like others did.

Not to say that he didn't eventually cave after very intense stalemates and compromises on both sides. For example, he had avowed to dissociate with her after graduation to give his self some peace of mind, especially after Shirley's passing. However, because she was aggressively persistent and had a tongue on her that even Satan himself would envy, she had coaxed Lelouch to not isolate himself in his grief and even go into business with her despite his misgivings; hence him becoming a somewhat unwilling writer under her employ.

Lelouch knew deep down that the blonde truly cared about him and his well-being. But sometimes her attention on him was suffocating, like now; especially when he had already promised he'd show up.

If he answered one of her calls he knew he would somehow end up donating his kidney to her or signing up for a world book tour in penalty for disobeying 'her Highness'. So when a distraction came in the form of his sister bringing out a small, brunette cherub with a head full of wild, curly hair, similar to his puppy form, Lelouch tossed his cell phone carelessly aside and drank in Suzaku's appearance.

Suzaku trundled out happily to him on his wobbly human legs. A toothy smile on his chubby face suddenly appeared, revealing the tiny fanged teeth of his sharp baby canines. The fidgety little human puppy wanted to make a beeline for his owner and crawl in his lap to cuddle as soon as his big green eyes spotted him. But he soon pouted and let out a small whimpering sound in the back of his throat when he realized for what seemed the first time that Nunnally was still holding his hand and refused to let him go where he wanted to.

"Let's show Aniki the outfit first and then you can go to him?" Nunnally offered with an apologetic smile to the little cutie. She brushed his messy bangs up so she could plant a soft kiss on his forehead to appease before gently lifting him and placing him up on the small dais so he could model the outfit Nunnally decided to have the pup wear for the rest of the day. The other things she had retrieved and paid for by their personal attendant who first carried out the pile of clothes approved by her then returned to give her back her credit card and the receipt for both the clothes in the dressing room and the clothes she ordered via the computer monitor that had followed her into said dressing room.

Previously the helpful, floating monitor had made soft beeps occasionally to alert her to when her Aniki bought something that was the same or similar to what she was currently looking at so as not to buy something the same, unless she absolutely wanted to. Her purchases would all be waiting for her at the front counter or shipped to her in a few weeks. But it was clear the attendants would have plenty to carry to the car with the forest of bags lying at Lelouch's feet alone.

'Probably only bought one measly thing for his self and the rest for us,' she thought, pouting inwardly. That was why Nunnally made sure to purchase some outfits for him from the Marc Jacobs and other nearby stores. Made sure the stores had them brought here so that when her Aniki finally did get a life he could wear some more dressy or dressy casual clothes for dates or public appearances. But she was clearly getting ahead of herself as she carefully tried to keep the fidgeting puppy still to showcase the sheer cuteness of the day's selection.

Suzaku was wearing a fuzzy sunshine yellow knit hoodie that had rosy red stitched cheeks to either side of the hoodie and Pikachu clothed ears poking out of a patch of fuzzy yellow on top. If that wasn't cute enough, when Nunnally finally turned Suzaku around, despite his squeaks of protests and grabbing motions at his master, the back of the hoodie revealed a striped brown back and a Pikachu attached tail. It was actually hollowed out and sewn upwards so that if it was too cold outside, Lelouch could sheath Suzaku's tail inside it to give him extra warmth. The adorable hoodie was paired with a pair of chocolate brown shorts to match the brown patches on the Pikachu hoodie, a pair of sky blue socks and soft soled training shoes.

As soon as the designer pet was placed down and Nunnally let go of his hand, the human puppy nearly tripped over himself to get to his Lelouch. His tan, chubby little face twisted up in distaste, cheeks flushed a rosy pink as he looked down at the shoes, instantly not liking them, before he crashed his small body down on Lelouch's knees to yip and babble in excited frustration in his toddler-puppy talk.

"It honestly should be a sin to be this cute." Lelouch sighed out even as he indulgently offered Suzaku a strawberry with one hand while gently combing his hand through the messy curls that peeked out from his hoodie with the other. His sister picked well, despite him initially being repulsed by such a ridiculously yellow outfit when he first saw it on the monitor.

Yet, it was the way the little pup first sniffled at the red fruit curiously before taking greedy, juicy, little nibbles, staining his petal soft lips and round little chin red with berry juice, which made him beyond adorable. Lelouch found himself fighting the urge not to just drag the messy little human pup into his lap for a hug and cuddle. His resolve crumbled completely, however, when the designer pet batted those big emerald eyes up at him and made needy grabbing motions with his small hands to be picked up.

Lelouch quickly scooped up the chubby little thing and hugged the small, human pup. He absorbed his warmth and the faint smell of Dawn dish soap that lingered on his skin as he kissed the pup's brow. The author didn't even begrudge the small thing rubbing his wooly head against Lelouch's shirt, snuffling his master's scent before giving him a clumsy, sticky kiss on his chin all the while occasionally letting out yips of his contentment. It just left the usually antisocial, aristocratic Lelouch, with a warm gooey feeling that could possibly rival the Grinch's sudden, dangerously enlarged heart.

He had missed this, when Nunnally and Euphemia were tiny like this. They were so utterly dependent on him that they would fight over whom he would hold first. It had been his ultimate high being the big brother that protected such helplessly adorable and possessive sisters. Their tummies were just as round as or even more so than their chubby cheeks and their eyes were so wide and innocent, fringed in long lashes, that he had an urge to hide and protect them from the entire world, like he now wanted to do with Suzaku.

The rather grown Nunally knew that her brother had a major brother complex and it amused her slightly that he had somehow managed to turn the obsession over to Suzaku as well. She could have left now and had everything put in the car, which she did, and he had barely noticed her disappearance. It was only when she softly touched his shoulder as he chuckled softly to himself at how Suzaku squealed and giggled at him blowing raspberries on the pup's fat, sun-kissed belly that Lelouch finally realized himself. He turned his handsome, dark head awkwardly, his hair fisted in two tight little hands that wanted more of the tickling sensation that he had given the pup.

Lelouch offered his sister an apologetically indulgent smile, so rare these days, before lightly untangling Suzaku's fingers from his hair. His smile only widened slightly and his heart swelled at how Suzaku protested and immediately began making grabbing motions for him as soon as he was unseated so his master could stand. Slim fingers quickly smoothed down black locks that were wildly pointing everywhere from where Suzaku had grabbed at the strands. A soft kiss on a chubby cheek was given to the human pup, whose only response was to pout in displeasure at the wrong human being picking him up.

"I've got to change, Suzaku and then we'll go. Nunnally everything is in the car; I assume?" He asked this even as he picked up his lone Marc Jacob bag he had garnered himself. With a nod from his little sister he dropped a kiss on her forehead in thanks before going to the dressing room to change into his already paid for outfit. It seemed pointless to change after he arrived at the bookstore he was going to because he was already running late.

He shivered a little at what the she-devil Milly would do to him once he arrived. She still had yet to outgrow penalty games or random forms of torture. He knew as he yanked up his freshly pressed pants and buttoned his cufflinks that she lived for these moments when he slipped up. For a split second as he shrugged into his jacket and then quickly straightened his tie, he wondered whether he shouldn't just go into hiding. Just gather a few things from his home and leave. But knowing his sadistic best friend, she would find him no matter where he moved. She would find him, make him pay in the most embarrassing way possible, and make sure the entire world sees every minute of it. So all Lelouch really could do was suck it up and just plow through this.

xXx

As soon as he arrived at the bookstore, an hour late to be exact, he was quickly separated from his sister and his protesting charge. He smiled sheepishly and introduced himself apologetically to the fans even as he was bodily pushed by Milly to where he would sit for over four hours instead of the original two. The punishment was considerably lenient considering how the blonde enjoyed toying with his life. So until the other proverbial shoe dropped, Lelouch would behave and plow through what felt like hell.

The chair was comfortable enough and it wasn't that he didn't appreciate that his readers enjoyed his books, but some of his fans tended to be overly friendly. He smiled politely and pretended to listen to another vapid fan gush over how excited he or she was to finally meet the man behind these amazing books. He even thanked those who offered him presents such as baked goods and stuffed animals; not that he would dare eat anything unwrapped. But more than once they were ready to ask for selfies with their selfie sticks all while invading his personal space with hugs or other unnecessarily touches.

They were not friends and there were very few that Lelouch would willingly allow so close. So at these moments he would cast Milly a withering look until the amused blonde waved one of the would-be security guard, who was just a bookstore employee, to carefully pry their grubby fingers from his person. His satisfaction at their removal was barely contained even as he forced himself to greet the next super fan.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that this was the type of job that allowed him to seclude himself in his house most of the time and kept him flushed in enough cash not to resort to taking his family money, he wouldn't bother writing. These meet and greets were overwhelming because it forced him to be sociable when he preferred to be prickly. Not to mention the fact that he didn't feel he deserved praise for something he would have done even if he wasn't being paid.

Lelouch truly felt that he was only a medium between the world and the anti-hero Zero that he created in his books. He didn't have to create Zero. Zero existed without him feeling compelled to make up a character. He breathed and thought independent of Lelouch's wishes and dictated how he wanted the world to see him even when the writer would have some misgivings about his chosen path.

If his fans knew how easily it was sometimes to coax Zero into reality while other times he had to fight just to catch him in the right light and do him justice, they wouldn't praise him so much. They wouldn't gush over him and leave him trinkets that would more than likely be divided up among the publishing staff if not thrown in the trash after these book signings. He really wished his fans wouldn't. He wasn't worth the effort. But he kept tight-lipped and kept his annoyance to a minimum because it was the polite thing to do.

Then, of course, there were the fans that clammed up completely when he politely tried to coax out how they were and if they enjoyed his book. As if he really cared. They squeaked and nodded dumbly, thrusting their books forward, looking down at their shoes or over his shoulder, instead of looking the somewhat understanding author in the eye. He had to lean in sometimes just to hear them mumble out their names. As soon as Lelouch gave them their book with some generic message along with his flourishing signature they'd breathe out a quivering thank you before dashing off and squealing in the privacy of their friends. It was amusing if not freakishly repetitive and mundane after the first two or so hours sitting in the same spot.

Lelouch was all ready to call for a small break, pushing his chair back and smiling apologetically to his fans. Then he noticed his publicist daring him with her pretty green eyes to abandon his post. He stiffened, fear curling up in his belly like a cherry hot snake, because he knew that although she was smiling to anyone who looked her way; those eyes told him that that evil mind of hers was thinking up a penalty game in addition to whatever she had planned for him if he didn't park his ass back down. So he sighed inwardly pretending that he had only stood to stretch his aching limbs before sitting back down and plastering a somewhat stiffer smile on his face for his next eager fan.

It was somewhere around that time that Suzaku had somehow managed to break free from his sister Nunnally and quickly trundled over to his master. The poor thing nearly tripped over himself in his haste to be reunited with his human while eluding his babysitter and the milling humans waiting for their turn to get their books autographed.

His small body quickly dove under the table before popping up on the other clothed side before Nunnally could grab for his Pikachu tail. Big green eyes glittered with mischief and triumph. All the while the hood of his hoodie pushed halfway down in the chaos of his escape, revealing his wooly mop of brown curls as he looked happily at his owner. An owner who seemed genuinely surprised to see his designer pet's head pop out from under his table while he was busy signing.

He was actually pleased.

Suzaku's sun-kissed face soon scrunched up in determination to crawl into Lelouch's lap without help as more of his body was revealed from under the table. His small hands were unhesitant to swat away Nunnally's reaching hands that threatened to scoop him away amid his squeaks of 'no, no, mine'. He even let out a yip of derision, dark brows crashing together when the amused author offered to help him into his lap.

Lelouch quickly lifted his hands in mock surrender, a natural smile, unbidden hitched up one side of his lips at this toddler's sudden need for independence. He reclined back slightly in a slouch. His hand beckoned teasingly for the frustrated toddler to come up and cuddle to his master's warmth. Fans, and everyone else for that matter, were forgotten in lieu of watching Suzaku's face flushed with triumph after he finally managed to pull his self up. His sheathed Pikachu tail wagged in his excitement even as the designer pet threw his small arms around Lelouch's pale neck and offered a sticky kiss on his cheek before nuzzling him.

Lelouch's violet gaze softened immediately as he let out an endearing chuckle and kissed the wooly crown of the pup's head. He allowed himself a few seconds to bathe in this child's attention. His arms folded protectively around him. Then he felt the first flash of a camera, forcing his startled gaze upward, his lips forming an inaudible 'oh'.

Fans, how could he forget? They were too cumbersome to simply forget. However, it seemed that his fans were not upset at all by this interruption.

In fact, Suzaku's presence had fanned the flames of worship among some of his most devout and maybe even made some fans out of some skeptics as they all looked at the handsome pair. Quickly more than one person pulled out camera phones and cameras to see this rare sight of Lelouch's usually prim and somewhat stand-offish behavior, despite his previous attempts at forced friendliness, dissolve into genuine warmth and delight to see someone.

Lelouch's violet gaze worriedly dashed towards his publicist to see whether he was in trouble. But Milly was all thumbs up and eager to cash in on Lelouch's sudden boost in popularity. He sighed heavily and when those twin pools of emerald look at him askance, he could only smile indulgently and kiss the tip of Suzaku's nose. "Do not worry, Milly is scheming again. You'll get used to it," he soothed. Then he gently turned the child to face the table and requested for one of the bookstore lackeys to give his designer pet a coloring book and some crayons before taking it upon himself to reign in the situation and apologize once more to his unperturbed fans.

"My apologies, Suzaku still has anxiety about leaving me by myself for too long. It's really sweet of him to worry over me. I must seem like a handful for him, but please do not mind him. We can continue now," he said diplomatically with an amuse twinkle in his eye. He then thankfully took up the crayons and coloring book to offer to his eager charge before nodding to his next fan to come up for a book signing.

She seemed ready to burst into squeals of 'kawaii' and the need to touch that bent curly head. But one well placed smile from Lelouch and a retrieval of her book, soon distracted her from touching what was clearly his and focus back on the star of the show, the author.

"Hello there, Miss. I'm glad that such a beauty as your self has come to pay me a visit. May I have your name?" he asked. His eyes dared her to look at anyone else but him as his arm wrapped possessively around the distracted child's middle.

The fan's face flamed at how intense the usually stiff author was. She murmured gibberish before somehow managing to squeak out her name. Her eyes watched intently as he scribbled another generic message with a flourishing signature as if he was creating some great masterpiece. Then she shyly offered him her phone number before walking away, hugging her book and looking slightly dazed.

"Oh my, maybe we should give you a break after all if the pheromone king is making his return. Wouldn't want any fans to faint," Milly said jokingly into Lelouch's ear. She had crept up to him as he nearly charmed the skirt off of his fan. Her sharp steel blue gaze landed on the top of Suzaku's bent head before smiling gleefully at Lelouch's sudden discomfort. He usually only became this charming, usually unbeknownst to his own self, when he was indulging one of his sisters and let his frigid guard down. Or when he wanted to purposely turn onlookers' gazes away from his sisters and apparently this little guy.

It was highly effective. Overkill really. It left most of his victims dazed and unable to fully process what their original pursuit had been. It was also one of the reasons that Milly refused to let Lelouch go as her pet project because truly Lelouch was fascinating. If she had that type of capability she would have totally abused it for evil instead of using it sparingly for good reasons like her best friend did.

"Was he the reason why you were so tied up? Very possessive aren't we? Maybe we should give you a break so you can dish." She purred this out, all too eager to get at the situation. She even made a soft 'awww', as those big green eyes fringed in brown lashes turn to look up over Lelouch's shoulder curiously before going back to scribbling in his new coloring book. She could just squish those cheeks of his, they were so chubby and round.

"Just let me get through this day Milly and maybe I'll tell you," he said through gritted teeth. He would flee long before she could get her well-manicured hands on him. But if he had to spend one more unnecessarily moment longer in this bookstore he would snap and undo all the good PR he had just received today.

Milly made a point to pout, trying her best to look as disappointed as possible. She really loved her gossip and the fact that she knew Lelouch had been adamantly against owning designer pets up until this very moment, had her mind buzzing. But she finally conceded and nodding, wanting her author to finish up before the crowd got too antsy. Her fingers already dialed out a number as she waved at him dismissively and walked back to the sidelines.

Lelouch let out a heavy sigh of relief. His skin prickled because only bad things came when she was that willing to give up so easily on some dirt. More than likely it had to do with his penalty from earlier but he let it go to greet the next person who had been hovering patiently with her book.

"Hello there. I am glad you came. Who may I address this too," Lelouch said politely, trying to reign it in. His gaze already was turned downward to the first page of the book as soon as his fingers could grasp the offered book long enough to turn the page.

"K… Kallen. My name is Kallen Stadtfeld," the redhead said shyly. Her olive green eyes were downcast as she waited patiently for him to sign her book, occasionally making sure her big floppy hat was secure on her head.

"To Kallen Stadtfeld, may you always find joy in reading about Zero and champion him in his causes," he said aloud even as he finished the inscription with his signature. He offered a brief, polite smile while handing her the book before his gaze looked past her to the next person, silently dismissing her presence.

Lelouch pondered to himself did he even make a dent in the line of fans sense it seemed as thick as ever. 'Were they circling back?' he thought, slightly mortified. It was plausible sense he didn't take care to remember any of their faces.

His writing hand flexed open and close as he tried to shake away the cramp that was slowly starting to stiffen his fingers painfully. He was completely on auto-pilot again, occasionally offering Suzaku encouraging endearments when he insisted on showing his latest scribble before signing something else. So the fact that this 'Kallen' person hadn't moved despite many protests behind her, didn't penetrate his head until she suddenly cleared her throat and smacked her signed copy loudly back down on the table.

"L… Lelouch sir, do you believe the words in your book. You… That we must fight those who we feel do injustice to the people," she said fervently, in a trembling voice. She flinched at the grumblings behind her to move, her teeth gnawing her bottom lip until it was flushed an angry pink in her distress and sudden boldness.

Lelouch paused, raising his eyebrow in bemusement at how passionate she sounded as if he was himself the protagonist in his stories."My character does some extreme things sometimes." He said this carefully, measuring out his words as if too much or too little thoughtfulness into each sentence would ruin the whole concoction he was trying to create to appease her. "But I don't think the principles he stands by are honestly that fictional."

"I'm glad to hear it. And what do you think about designer pets? I know you have one..." She trailed off and looked pointedly at Suzaku. The pup was nibbling enthusiastically on his goldfish crackers that Nunnally had left a baggie of while he colored. He seemed happily oblivious that attention was turned towards him yet again.

Suzaku's tongue poked out cutely at the side as he tried his best to color inside the lines and merrily failing miserably. "But do you really believe that designer pets should be subjugated under the will of the rich and the royal when they can feel and think just as easily as the Humans? Don't you think your talents would be better used fighting for designer pets' equality instead of pandering over fictional characters?" she pressed, leaning forward.

Lelouch looked dumbstruck at her intensity, unsure what to say. He was at the most expected to speak about his books and listen to insipid words from his fans surrounding his works. He sure as hell didn't expect some timid redhead to strike up a political conversation with him. Not when it was such a hot button topic and the evidence of one such creature lay contentedly in his lap.

He curled his other arm protectively around Suzaku as if she would snatch the poor thing up and set him free. As if this poor child or any child around this toddler's age could survive on his own for long without proper supervision and care. He opened his mouth to speak and say as much. His eyes lit with indignation when he was politely cut off.

"Miss there are others waiting in line for their autographs," a bookstore assistant tersely cut in. It was clear he was anxious to thin out the herd as much as Lelouch was before ending the line and book signing officially.

"I… I'm so sorry. I'll go. Sorry for bothering you," she squeaked weakly, stumbling off her soap box. She quickly moved, not wanting to waste any more time making herself scarce. Her floppy straw hat was knocked almost off her head as she was jostled through the irritated crowd. A lone floppy brown bunny ear slipped from under the hat before she quickly stuffed it back in. Her cheeks flushed a flaming pink as she looked anxiously back at Lelouch before disappearing completely from view.

"I think it's high time for a lunch break. We will reopen in an hour. Please take your numbers to remember your place in line. Enjoy our books and café while you wait and thank you for shopping at Clamps Book Emporium," announced the bookstore manager to dispel the scandalized whispers.

"Was she a designer pet?" Nunnally asked curiously as soon as most of the fans dispersed and her brother was free. Even she was surprised to see a designer pet alone and without their owner. There were poachers out there that were willing to snatch up the expensive creations and sell them on the black market to those who would be less caring. Not to say that all owners who bought their pets the legal way were as caring as they should be. Most still thought of them as dumb animals and not intelligent animals in humanoid form that could think and feel.

"It's that or she was a playboy bunny that couldn't change after her gig." Lelouch said this nonchalantly as he rearranged Suzaku before he stood with his curly-haired bundle. He took long, purposeful strides towards the backroom one employee ventured to show him. The author just didn't want to run into one or more of his fans in the aisle because once the sharks scented water they'd surround him. No, better to stay hidden until he had to go back.

When the employee asked him if there was anything else he might need before leaving him he then proceeded to request his lunch order and some spice chai tea latte—milk instead of water with a shot of espresso. Once done he slid into the backroom and sought out the relatively well maintained couch before continuing on in less hushed tones. "Either way, I was sorely under the impression that designer pets were incapable of higher learning such as reading," Lelouch said thoughtfully.

He had honestly never delved further into everything involving designer pets because his moral core had been repulsed enough by the creators wanting to play God. It was bad enough that some humans exploited their pets by having illegal cock fights and doing cruel and unusual things like setting fire to them because they could. It was quite clear that since they were humanoid a lot more could be done to them such as using them as servants, experiments, sexual toys, etc.

He could never do anything as repulsive to something as sweet and innocent as Suzaku. No matter if the human pup wouldn't be so little for long. Lelouch had entertained ideas of teaching the pet how to read once it was old enough to speak properly and understand simple commands and that was while he was shopping for clothes. He was in; in too deep to ever find an end. But as Suzaku offered to pop one of his goldfish crackers in the author's mouth, squealing in delight as Lelouch nibbled on his fingers playfully after finishing his offering, he didn't mind. Maybe it was time to live for his self again, instead of a memory.

"She left her book behind either way. How rude after all those inquisitive questions," Nunnally said as she plopped down beside her brother. She opened her mouth so that little Suzaku could feed her too, which he promptly did, then cuddled up to her brother's side. His arm automatically coming to encompass her in a one-armed embrace. "This is nice by the way… us three here, right now in this moment."

"It was," sighed out Lelouch in frustration. He could hear the telltale signs of the door rattling before the breakroom door unlocked to let in Milly smiling oh so sweetly while holding Lelouch's food order and cappuccino.

"Spill Lamperouge or no caffeine for you," she purred out holding the tall insulated cup tauntingly. Her devious smile widening as she saw surrender spelt all over his handsome face. "I thought you'd see it my way."

And soon thoughts of the intrusive rabbit, the penalty round and two more hours of cooing fans were forgotten as he tried to explain how he came to own a pup like Suzaku. His fingers occasionally running fondly over the leather collar around Suzaku's slender throat.

xXx

He was very grateful that Doctor Lloyd Asplund could squeeze him in at the last moment, despite Milly's earlier penalty of autograph purgatory. The silver-haired man was a veterinarian doctor that specialized with designer pets like Suzaku, which was important when considering there where both human and canine aspects that needed to be attended to. Lelouch also trusted that Lloyd would use discretion once he revealed that Suzaku was 'found' and not store bought like most designer pets were.

"Very curious indeed…" Dr. Lloyd mumbled to his self as he circled the furry specimen with a microchip detector. The fear alone having apparently reverted poor Suzaku into his doxiepoo persona before they had even entered the animal clinic.

"What's curious?" Lelouch asked worriedly, hovering close enough so that the fuzzy fur ball could lick his fingers if he had wanted to.

"It's clear he hasn't been claimed yet as a pet. If he had then he would have a chip in his ear like this one," he indicated, pointing to his blue-haired assistant, Cecile. She obediently stepped closer in order to flick her soft rabbit ear down so that they could see the pale silhouette of a microchip inside her flesh once illuminated by light.

"These chips are important because we install the designer pet's medical record, owner and tracking information in case they go missing. These creatures are expensive purchases that would more than guarantee, if purchased correctly, they would quickly be chipped. Some eccentric and more cautious owners hide the microchips on a different part of the body in order for poachers to not detect. However, the detector senses no microchip anywhere so if you want to, I'll be more than happy for you to purchase a chip to be implanted in his ear," Dr. Lloyd offered.

"Will it be painful," Nunnally asked solemnly. She was off to the side, watching everything from the safety of a plastic chair against the wall. She hated how clearly scared Suzaku was and even the comforting swipes he took at her brother's fingers weren't enough to stop the poor thing from shaking on the metal examining table.

"It's as painful as someone getting their ear pierced. We usually insert the chip in the ear because it's mostly cartilage and can be easily taken out if it malfunctioned or left in when updating information. There is the problem, as aforementioned, that poachers can also tear out the chip so they could resell designer pet's like Suzaku; but the telltale signs of tampering are usually noticeable," Dr. Lloyd explained carefully, with a reassuring smile.

"Could we do it today? Or are there some registration hoops I'll need to jump through since Suzaku was a 'found' designer pet?" Lelouch said, even as he pressed a warm, reassuring hand down on Suzaku's back. The poor thing had started to whine, his tiny claws scraping against the metal table as he tried to wriggle loose of the leash that tied him to the table.

"Yes, we can do it today. Just fill out this form and my assistant will type in the information for the installation chip. I'll continue the exam now so that we can put in his latest medical history; but I will need you to come back a week from today if possible so I can give him his round of shots, a proper flea dip and tutelage on how to properly clip a designer pet's nails," he explained carefully even as his rabbit assistant passed Lelouch a clipboard and pen.

Silently Lelouch passed the clipboard over to his sister after skimming over the sheets. He wanted… no needed to be by Suzaku's side and besides the information was simple enough that his sister could easily fill it out for him.

Dr. Lloyd didn't seem to mind as he first began to exam the frighten pup in his animal form. He checked his ears, felt the wetness of his nose before prying his jaw open to see if everything was as it should be. His tongue clicked in sympathy at the pup's rapid heartbeat when he used his stethoscope before he offered the pup a biscuit shaped like a bone that was specifically designed for designer pet dogs.

"I'll need your hand for this part," the good doctor explained as he reached for Lelouch's hand. As soon as he grasped it he began to guide it along Suzaku's spine to an irregular bump between the pup's shoulder blades. "If you press down here he should be able to unlock from his animal form. The same can be said if you need to change him from human form to animal if your pet is unwilling or unable to switch between forms yet," Dr. Lloyd explained carefully. His slim fingers pressed Lelouch's fingers down on the bump between the shoulder blades until it gave a little once it was touched. "Not too hard, just enough that the designer pet instinctively stiffens before they start their transformation."

As the vet said this Suzaku was engulfed in a cloud of pink smoke and suddenly transformed back into his darling, human form. The fear was still there, eyes wide and rounded as he openly whimpered, bottom lip poked out and trembling. He made grabbing motions for his owner, his soft skin riddled with goosebumps from fear and the coldness of wearing nothing but his stretchy pampers on the cold, metal table.

"Who would abandon such a cutie?" Nunnally sighed out in frustration as she quickly passes the clipboard to the rabbit assistant before delicately stroking the poor thing's triangular ears. "Lelouch, maybe you should hold him in his lap. He's cold and scared," she insisted.

"You may hold him and have a seat. I'll just do the same tests I just did in his animal form. Different forms sometimes reveal different results. He's honestly quite a remarkable specimen Lord Lelouch, despite being 'found'," Dr. Lloyd said as adjusted his glasses.

"Lelouch, my name is just Lelouch. My family holds those types of titles, Lloyd, not me. Besides it hasn't been that long since we left the classrooms. I doubt you forgot that it was I who consoled you when Milly broke your engagement to her. It was honestly dodging a bullet, her losing interest. I wish I could have said the same for me, but apparently I'm doomed to be her best friend." He said this with a dramatic sigh. Then he proceeded to unhook, lift, carry and finally deposit the shivering wooly haired cherub on his lap once he found a suitable chair. "So how old is he, doc?"

Dr. Lloyd ignored Lelouch for a moment after the child visibly called down enough that it stopped whimpering and sagged happily against the author's chest. He smiled in amusement as cautious green eyes dared the good doctor to budge the designer pet from his owner's lap as he pressed his bare front against Lelouch's chest and grabbed two fistfuls of the raven's dress shirt.

The vet silently approached the child, making a show of purposely slowing down his movements just enough so the child could see he meant him no harm. He even pulled out a squeaky toy from his lab coat to distract the child before he quickly shone the small pocket light into big green eyes to see how his pupils responded to the light. They swished, once, twice, done, before Suzaku could murmur a protest. Then Dr. Llyod switched his light towards the pup's ears to make sure there weren't any pesky ear mites or waxy build up.

The small thing watched the doctor wearily, jerking his head violently back when the doctor tried to touch his face. He let out a warning bark before burying his face against Lelouch's shirt, taking small comfort in his owner's smell and the reassuring thumping of a strong heartbeat. He didn't need any other human. He liked the female okay. She had been the one who introduced him to the raven and made sure the pup stayed in the raven's good graces.

But as soon as Lelouch had touched him, bathed him, named him and allowed him to sleep with him—even if he had been initially reluctant—the pup had known that this human was the one for him. He didn't remember anything before Lelouch, except that he had been lost, cold and hungry for such a long time. It was just his luck that he had stumbled into Lelouch's expansive backyard, that was more woods then yard. However, it had been days of pining for the human he occasionally saw in the windows before that fateful, rainy day when Nunnally had prompted Lelouch to investigate his miserable yips.

This human was kind. He might scold and glare, wag his fingers and pointedly try to ignore him. But Suzaku knew somewhere deep inside that Lelouch cared for him. He just had to take a whole bunch of convincing on that kitchen floor. But once he did… he tried to press his self closer to soak in the love and care that this human gave him. His trembling long stopped within the safety of Lelouch's arm. The way lovingly scratches behind his ears and along his scalp. The timbre of his voice, his smell and the safe harbor of his warm lap was enough for the pup. He didn't need some annoying human hovering near him, touching and spoiling what was starting to become his small patch of heaven.

Lelouch smiled warmly, brushing back Suzaku's curly bangs in order drop an indulgent kiss on his forehead. Was it honestly wrong that he felt happy that the small thing really only desired his touch? But they had had a long day and there was still a bit more to go before they could go home to eat and rest properly. So he quickly took command of the situation. "Suzaku sweetie, I need for you to let the doctor see if you are okay. Don't worry if there is anything scary coming, I'll be right here to protect you," he murmured in soothing tones, rubbing the pup's back. It was as if the author already expected the designer pet to understand him, despite the child being wild and only with him for a single day.

Dr. Lloyd tried again to reach for Suzaku's face once it turned his way. He nodded his head in encouragement when the toddler reluctantly allowed the doctor to touch him. "Well according to his dental, he's only 16 months give or take a few days. Notice the milk teeth even in this form," he instructed as he carefully lifted up Suzaku's top lip. "They are mostly there, but some in the back are still growing in. I'll prescribe you some baby aspirin and a teething chew toy to help relief the pain." He continued clinically, pulling away and adjusting his glasses. Lloyd then offered the human pup a toddler biscuit shaped like a bone, a special treat for designer pet's like him.

"These are also good treats to prevent gingivitis and tarter build up. Once he's at an age where he can brush his own teeth you don't have to give him these, but they are good for now. I'll also offer you some recommended shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and other essential toiletries to maintain a healthy coat," he murmured before giving the unruly curls of Suzaku a sniff. "You used Dawn dish detergent soap on him?"

"He was muddy and I refused to let him get in my bed covered in muck," Lelouch said defensively. He wrinkled his nose and tried to look offended but he could barely stop himself from chuckling as the human pupped decided to suddenly covered his cheek in sloppy toddler kisses. He couldn't honestly remain grumpy and full of angst for long around Suzaku and that highly amused both his sister and the vet. "Does he get a good bill of health?"

"Everything seems green. Cecile has finished logging the information into Suzaku's new chip and once I insert it you three will be all good to go. Here are the antiseptic crème to rub on his skin once a day for three weeks until his ear heal. Now hold him firmly and let's get this show on the road. Cecile, please order us so Thai, my stomach hasn't quite recovered from your last cooking attempt," he said off-handedly before producing a piercing gun.

A quick swab to sterilize both sides of his ear, a firm hand on the one ear he'd insert the chip into and before the pup could start wiggling from his owner's firm grasp, he pulled the trigger. "Bang, and we're done," he said brightly. He made quick work of the blood, dabbing a little of the medicinal crème before bandaging the era. "If he tries to scratch or tries to take the chip out please let me know and we'll get him a cone to place around his neck. We want this baby to heal."

Once everything was done he clapped his hands in delight, threw away his gloves and pulled out a chocolate pudding cup with disposable spoon from another lab coat pocket. "See you next week Lord Lelouch," Lloyd said with a playful wink. A pout suddenly tugging on his lips when his designer pet assistant suddenly took away his dessert murmuring something along the lines of dinner first.

"Thank you, thank you for everything," Lelouch said. He decided to forgive Lloyd's teasing since Cecile had taken away his pudding. Today had been a very long, eventful day and before he could sleep like the dead he was going to make his little family some quick peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a tall glass of milk.

"Let's go home," he declared. His body bogged down with fatigue but his heart light for the first time since before Shizune's passing.

"Ho-ome?" Suzaku tried the words out on his tongue and smiled. He might not quite know what the word meant yet. But it filled him with a warmth and euphoria that rivaled even his owner's smile and the human girl's answering giggle."

"Yep, home."