Well…upon writing this, I found that this chapter was rather unnecessary, but hey, I wrote it! Let's hope it isn't as unnecessary as I think it is. *Sigh* I can't believe this is done! I feel like crying!

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass, but….but…like I said, when my plan takes off…*Insert very evil laugh*

Chapter 20: Proposing

It was a beautiful evening, Kallen had to admit as she gazed out the kitchen window watching the day turn into night. It had been quiet around the house for the whole day with her studying for her exams and Lelouch at work. She glanced at the clock and bit on her bottom lip, a bit nervous. When would he get home? She wanted to laugh at herself. It had just been a few weeks since the kidnapping incident and since then, she had found herself lost in a whirlwind of total bliss. She had also started depending more on Lelouch's presence as the time sped by. She frowned. Was it wrong to miss him only after 8 hours of him not being next to her?

Her shoulders slumped as she thought about this. Of course it was something bad! If she depended on him too much then it would be a complete tragedy if things didn't work out. She clasped her hands together at the frightening thought and threw a word of prayer up to the heavens that nothing would happen to Lelouch…especially since he was later than usual that day.

The sound of the front door opening caught her ear and she quickly added an amen to her prayer before hurrying to see if it was indeed Lelouch. And it was. He smiled when he saw her, flinging his bag to the side to walk over to her, gently wrapping his body around hers, resting his head on her shoulder.

"What took you so long?" She couldn't help but snapped. He laughed and lifted his head so that he could look at her. He had a playful smirk on his face.

"I've been gone for the whole day and his is what you greet me with. Honestly, I was expecting something a little more…nasty," he said and ran his hand over her bum. She didn't offer any sign of amusement at his playfulness, waiting for his explanation.

"Fine! Fine!" He said and let her go, rolling his eyes and pulling himself into the kitchen.

"So?" She asked. He turned to face her, his hand on the door of the refrigerator.

"Did I make you worry?" He asked, a serious expression now on his face. Kallen looked away and nodded. She heard him sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "I had to pick up something on the way here. When I went last time…it wasn't ready," he said. The tiny box that held the delicate ring rested in his pocket and he almost reached into said pocket to fiddle with it and make sure it was still there. He had tried to get it when she was in the hospital, it would have been a dramatic proposal then, but the jewelers had not finished it. But now…now he had it and he knew it was the right decision.

"Oh…what did you pick up?" She asked. He smiled mischievously.

"You'll see," he said and chuckled to himself. Kallen rose an eyebrow.

"What is it? You have to tell me…or else," she threatened.

"Or else what? What can you, Kallen Stadfeld possibly do to make me regret not telling you?" He asked. She smiled.

"I'll make you beg," she said, her voice seductive. Lelouch could hear his heart pounding in his chest and he gulped at her threat. She was right…she could make him beg. As a matter of fact all he had been doing since she had gotten out of the hospital was beg.

"Do I have to? Especially now?" He asked, strolling over to her and trapping her between him and the wall. His hand slipped to her neck, rolling it to one side. He lowered his head and began nibbling on her slim neck. She closed her eyes, allowing all her raw emotions to gently wash over her as she placed her palm against Lelouch's chest. His lips moved from her neck, aiming for her mouth. She turned it away from him, gaining pleasure at having him suffer.

"What did I say?" She asked.

"I will force you," he said, going for her lips again. She avoided the contact a second time.

"Then…I will leave you," she said and stared him right in the eye. He sighed, a sign of surrender.

"Kallen, I beg you…please, let me have a taste of you," he said, going in again. Their lips touched so softly but they could feel the silent intensity behind it and they both knew they would have to work hard to restrain it. Both their eyes were closed in sweet escape and he moaned into the kiss and she gripped his shirt tightly in control. And suddenly a heat has risen between them and hands were starting to roam. It was amazing just how attracted they were to each other.

The doorbell rang, shoving them out of their moment and back into reality.

"What the…" Lelouch started, upset at being interrupted. She backed off of Kallen and stormed over to the door, flinging it open and staring at the distinguished, dapper man who stood elegantly on the veranda.

"Hello, good night, I hear this is where Kallen lives," the man said, a shocked expression on his face.

"What the hell do you want with Kallen, you asshole?" Lelouch said angrily. The man was even more taken aback by Lelouch cussing.

"O…aa…..um…excuse me?" The man finally found his tongue, he too was becoming angry.

"I said…" Lelouch began.

"Hello," Kallen cut him off as she joined him at the door. Lelouch's hand wrapped around Kallen's waist immediately in a protective stance. He wasn't looking at her or he would have seen the look of terror on her face. But he could see the look of utter horror on the face of the man in front of him.

The man took in everything. The ill bred youth that was now holding on to a beautiful red head that was…pregnant! No! This couldn't be! This couldn't be his Kallen! She had more pride than that! She was an angel!

"Ka…Ka…Kallen," he managed to stutter out. Her terror stricken face contorted into a look of darkness and when she spoke, her voice was so deeply cold that even Lelouch froze.

"Naoto. Brother," she said and this was when Lelouch allowed his eyes to fall to her face. What did this mean?

"Brother?" Lelouch questioned, searching his memory for the mention of a brother. Vaguely, very vaguely he could remember her telling him about an older brother…mixed in with how rich her family was. The brother looked at Lelouch with disgust and he, in the blink of an eye, had reached forward and grabbed Kallen's hand. In less than a second, the two men were in a tug or war, Kallen being the rope.

"I don't know what's going on here! But I intend to take my baby sister from you!" Naoto said firmly, pulling her towards him with a cry of pain from Kallen.

"You dumbass! Don't you see you're hurting her!" Lelouch yelled, holding on firmly to her, but not pulling. He would hurt anyone that hurt her, regardless of relation.

"Could you both just let me go! Ouch!" Kallen yelled, trying to get the sudden rising tension to disappear.

"You heard her!" Lelouch growled.

"I won't! I will not give up this fight! Kallen, I'm taking you home! Gino is waiting!" Naoto said and Lelouch's angry face fell.

"Gino?" He asked.

"Yes, Gino. My sister's betrothed," Naoto said.

"Betrothed?" Lleouch once again questioned. Naoto smirked and managed to pull Kallen out of Lelouch's grasp, tucking her protectively into his side.

"No!" Kallen protested, trying to get from under his firm hold.

"It seems you are less educated than I had first thought," Naoto said, his smirk widening.

"What the hell is this, Naoto?" Kallen yelled. She ducked her head quickly and slipped out of his hold, slowly backing up until she was against Lelouch's chest. This shocked her brother.

"Kallen? You must come home now. We have set up a marriage for you. It is your obligation to keep the fortune within our grasp. That is why…"

"Isn't it the same Gino that asked me out in the 9th grade and ended up having his face punched in by you because he was trying to stick his hand into my pants?" Kallen asked. Naoto remained quiet for a moment before nodding 'yes' to the question.

"Wait until I meet this Gino person…" Lelouch started, but Kallen cut him off also.

"The same Gino who you swore to never let come 10 feet near me ever again because he hurt his little sister?" She asked.

"Yes, Kallen, but…"

"No Naoto. There are no 'buts' to put in when you look at all those facts. Money isn't the most important thing in the world. Sure it can get you places, buy you temporary friends and temporary happiness. But it won't last forever. For me…I don't cvare about all that stuff anymore. I have friends who don't depend on my money. And…and I have something much more than a close friend. I have…" and she trailed off right there as Lelouch grasped her hands, their fingers slowly intertwining.

'A life-love companion,' Kallen added mentally, allowing the joined hands to finish her sentence.

"No…"

"Seems you're just an educated fool, Naoto. Let me explain to you in a language you can understand…she's friggin done with you and your fancy life. She's staying with me," Lelouch said with a big, mocking smirk on his face. Naoto's face darkened and he quarreled with himself for a minute.

'Why did I come to Britannia?' He questioned himself. He had come to return Kallen home to get married to Gino, the man who was equally as rich as them and would balance off their family very nicely. They could use him to build their family's name and empire. This marriage, was a marriage of convenience, not love. He himself had never been in love, but he had seen it displayed so often in his friends and family members. Falling in love with someone was like throwing your life into a tornado, he had observed. He had seen people gone seemingly mad from loving someone and others who had given up lifelong dreams just to be by the side of the one they admired. Was this what was going on with his sister and the hooligan in front of him?

"Then…give me a chance to at least get acquainted with this situation," he managed to say. Though he had come to bring his sister back with him, his first intentions had been to make things right with her and salvage what he could of the close relationship they had once shared. And he would do it…even if it meant compromise on his end.

"Hell…" Lelouch started to shout. Kallen interrupted him by elbowing him in the stomach and having his last word replaced by coughs.

"Sure, you can come in," she said, stepping aside so that her brother could enter. Lelouch's face settled into a look of disgust as Naoto passed by them and entered the room. His eyes

Quickly took in all that was the house and with hesitation proclaimed it safe…mentally of course.

Without an invitation, which he knew was rude but did not care seeing as everything belonged to the thug that Kallen was living with, he sat on one of the couches, his back straight. Kallen felt like giggling. He looked strange in the midst of the overstuffed couch.

"So…what is your name?" Naoto asked. He bit off his last word, deciding that it would be best not to insult the thing that had hypnotized his beloved Kallen.

"Lelouch, Lelouch Lamperouge," Lelouch answered. Oh how he wish he could stuff the man's arrogance down his throat with just two words – Vi Britannia! That would surely shut him up and put him in his place! But Lelouch was no longer a Prince, neither had he any intentions of being one again.

"It is my pleasure to meet you," Naoto said in a voice that clearly showed how unpleasant their first encounter had been. Lelouch narrowed his eyes and tightened his fists. He would not allow this man to downgrade him in his own home. But, Lelouch, though capable, would not stoop to the level the man thought he was at, he could very well play Naoto's little game.

"No, no. The pleasure is all mine," Lelouch said, a little twinkle in his eye as he bowed his head just an inch in acknowledgement. Needless to say that Kallen's uptight brother was shocked by Lelouch's display of silent defiance.

"Naoto…why are you here? You know how I feel about arranged marriages," Kallen said sitting beside her brother. He took his eyes off of the seemingly amused Lelouch and turned to look at his sister. He clasped her hands in his and looked her in the eye.

"If you love your family, Kallen, you will do this!" He demanded of her. Kallen was taken aback at the forwardness and intensity of his proclamation.

"I thought I told you…"

"You do not know what you want. I will bring you back to Japan whether you like it or not!" Naoto said, standing up to show his authority. Kallen met his challenge head on, also standing up.

"I refuse! I'm not something you can throw around and do whatever you want with!" She yelled at him. Why did her brother have to be so insistent?

"I hope you heard what I said, Kallen! Whether you like it or not I am taking you back to Japan even if I have to lift you up and bring you there myself!" He yelled. Kallen could feel tears burning in the back of her eyes, but she ignored them as she tried to stand her ground, tried to preserve her life with Lelouch.

"Excuse me, but it will be impossible for her to return with you," Lelouch entered the argument with perfection. The quarreling siblings turned their attention to the man.

"She has no commitments to attend to here," Naoto spat. Lelouch smiled, a 'I know something you don't' smile as he walked over to Kallen's side.

"Really?" He asked, though it came out more like a statement. Without waiting for an answer from the demanding brother, Lelouch suddenly got down on one knee and whipped out a small, beautiful blue box. He opened it and in it was a beautiful ring, its stone the exact same color as Kallen's eyes. She gasped silently while Naoto's eyes seemed as if they might fall out of his head.

"Kallen, I would love for you to marry me."

Well…see what I mean about unnecessary? I'm so sorry it ended this way folks! Please forgive me! I wanted to keep you on your toes until the very end, but the Naoto surprise came out less 'WOW' than I had imagined.

Anyway, My final words. This fic has been the most acknowledged fic I have written thus far and the reviewers immensely loyal and truthful and the BEST EVER! Even though I had difficulty salvaging some amount of "Umf" out of this chapter, I don't think I did that bad. Sorry for the late chapter and thanks for for your support. For the last time, God bless my reviewers!:

thepinkmartini, Danny RoboGuy nanoman79, RiseofaRebellion, nightingale mistress, Southy the Otaku, DW64, CelestialTwilight, LasNoches92girl, snoogenz, Chibi-Emo Chan and Korey-chan!