A/N: I know it's been a long time since I last updated any of my stories… but what can I say? Life gets busy. Anyhow... I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 18: Lelouch & C.C.

Slowly working to unfasten the suffocating tie around his neck, the drained brunette heavily slumped onto the couch- listening to the wailing cries of his sons' for a few seconds until they were presumably calmed by their mother. Able to relax when she didn't call for his help after a minute, he then kicked off his shoes and tossed his black tie onto the coffee table before making himself comfortable on the sofa couch. He then propped an arm over his eyes, and his lips unconsciously thinned into a frown as he thought about this morning's event.

The private funeral for her... Naomi Lamperouge.

The name she was given by her parents.

And all the million things he could be thinking about right, at least, should be... all his mind could focus on is them. More specifically, C.C.

Of all the sad faces there, she stood out to him the most.

He's never seen her so cold before. Her eyes hollow... lips were sealed shut for she spoke to no one besides her husband. Her smile was self-harming, but most of all, seeing the interaction between she and Lelouch was just so… heartbreaking. For as long as he has known them, he has never seen so much—

"Move over, honey."

Snapping from thought and without so much of changing his lying position on the couch, Suzaku lifted his legs upon his lover's command and waited until she sat comfortably before settling them down to rest onto her lap. She began to gently rub her hands across his legs, humming to a song that was vaguely familiar. For a minute, silence casted upon them comfortably despite both their minds being in different places. But it wasn't until Suzaku looked at his beautiful love and gave her a soft smile when she finally connected her eyes with his had it been broken.

"Have I ever told you that you're by far the most beautiful woman I had ever seen?"

"Hmm… is that so?" Euphy blushed, a small giggle escaping past her lips when her beloved winked at her. "Suzaku, you're so full of it. You do know that, right?"

"I do now apparently." He chuckled then sat up to wrap an arm over her shoulder then pulled her in so she could rest her head on his chest. "How are the boys? Were you able to handle them for breakfast after I left?"

"They were a bit fussy. Haru didn't want eat anything I gave him for half an hour which was frustrating and annoying... but overall, they were pretty good. Nothing that I couldn't handle by myself." Euphemia looked up to Suzaku and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "How was the funeral by the way? Were you okay going alone?"

An image of C.C. sitting by herself in front of the small casket flashed through his mind and sank his heart deeper than it already had. Unwinding his arm from around the pinkette, she looked at him in confusion when he subtly distanced himself from her as he sat forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

This morning was the small, private funeral for the loss of her brother's and his wife's baby. Naturally, she wanted to attend but they didn't have a babysitter for the twins and she and Suzaku agreed that bringing them there in the sight of mourning parents would be… in a sense… insensitive. So, she stayed home and Suzaku went. He promised her he would be fine on his own. But… given how he was there when it all went down… she figured he was still feeling a little guilty for not doing enough despite not being able to.

"Suzaku, sweetie?" Euphemia said softly as she ran her ivory fingers through his soft brown hair. She planted a kiss to his temple and asked, "What's eating you?"

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled softly then answered, "Nothing. Nothing that we haven't already talked about." Suzaku paused for a moment to collect his words. "After seeing them today… I hope everything will be okay between them. It's just that they seemed so distant from each other but… I don't know. I don't want to make any assumptions that their relationship is hurting after this."

"Yeah, that's true. But… there's no doubt in my mind that they'll be ok. They work really well as a couple… and as friends."

Shyly smiling, Suzaku kissed the beauty's lips and whispered, "I hope you're right."

#

"Green tea is all that we have left, so I hope you like it." Lelouch said as he carried a porcelain teacup over to his father-in-law who sat patiently in the living room. When he made it to the coffee table, he shakily set the teacup down- almost spilling its contents- and mumbled an apology for his near clumsiness.

"Are you okay, son?"

"Yeah. Its just…" the raven-haired man sat down in a sofa chair adjacent couch and took a moment to take a sip of his own drink to help relax his winding nerves. "It's been a long morning, and uh… you know. A lot is happening with C.C. and I and we just haven't—"

"You don't have to explain, my boy." The older man chuckled awkwardly, a tad surprised at how the normally collected Lelouch is a bit… dysfunctional?

Not like he blames them. Both his daughter and son-in-law have been going through a heavy amount of stress.

After the funeral, the older man asked if he could stop by and visit for a while. The communication between the family and the young couple has been very limited, and he felt the need to spend time with them… to make sure that they're okay as they claim to be.

"So, Lelouch… when will you be returning to work?"

"I've already gone back." He answered a bit sharply, bitterness laced in his voice. "After the little stunt I pulled at the meeting I told you about… my boss was lenient enough to excuse my behavior, but he expected me to come back immediately. Only giving me a couple days to handle things at home."

"And C.C.? How does she feel about it?" the raven-haired man shrugged his shoulders before mumbling that they don't talk about it. But it was what he said under his breath after that made the older man frown in disappointment.

He should have known this would eventually happen... it was crystal clear by their interactions earlier.

Turning towards the master bedroom where C.C. had gone in to change a few minutes before, he commented, "C.C.'s been in there for a while, huh?"

"Yeah… I guess so."

"Why don't you check up on her? She might need your help with something."

Lelouch mumbled in agreement before getting up from his seat with a heavy sigh and walked until he disappeared past the bedroom door.

Once he was out of sight, the older man put his teacup down and raised from his spot on the couch to take a stroll around the living room. His heart felt heavy, Lelouch's whispered words repeating in his head like a broken record, as he admired the few pictures of his son-in-law and daughter, smiling, in love, and very much happy. Their eyes filled with much joy.

The complete opposite of how they are now.

"We don't talk anymore… not like we used to."

"They're still so young." He said to himself then stopped in front of the large, glass sliding door to peer out into the backyard. Winter is here and most of their flowers has wilted except for an abundance of white roses that appear to have barely been touched by the cold season.

White roses… his late wife loved roses… they were her favorite.

The pain of losing someone never truly goes away. You just learn to live with it. To deal with it on your own. And all of that takes time… but in the end… healing is possible.

Very much so.

Walking back to the sofa, he was ready to sit down when he heard the barely audible, familiar sobs of his daughter. Curious, he quietly stepped towards the bedroom then peeked through the slightly cracked opened-door felt. And right away, his already saddened heart ached even more at the sight.

The sight of his daughter on the floor, quietly sobbing in the lap of her husband while he silently sat on the edge of the bed, soothingly rubbing her head.

If they can't speak to each other like they used to... then hopefully that love of theirs won't die out in consequence.

A/N: I know it's a super short chapter, but hopefully the next one will be a little longer. I wanted to stay away from Lelouch and C.C.'s POV in this chapter for the reason of trying something different. Anyways! I hope you enjoyed this small chapter. Until next time!

Thank you as always for all the favorites, followers, and of course reviewers! I truly appreciate your support and being able to read your feedback. It can be motivational and helpful at times for things I may not notice my this or any of my other stories.

Thatsoneperson