Takes place during the two month timeskip between Lelouch gaining control of the world and the culmination of the Zero Requiem. Obviously, there are spoilers. Please enjoy!

Her hands were balled into fists, fidgeting constantly with the material of her long sky blue dress shirt. She kept her head down; her lips creased into a thin line, and said nothing, only looking up to check the time.

10:54

Milly Ashford was as nervous as a person could possibly be.

She had found the note in her small office at the station's main office in the center of the Tokyo Settlement. It was a small notecard, folded into a perfectly neat square and placed on her stack of binders and business papers.

It was clever, really. So simple that no one would suspect anything of it. The words written inside of it matched its furtive appearance. They were short and vague—just the way to do it when one was trying to avoid attention.

11:00. The nearest place where the sky's view is narrow.

She didn't quite understand it at first. "…The sky's view is narrow" Then it hit her. At the nearest alleyway.

She had laughed. Under any other circumstance she would never meet with someone in an alleyway. Especially just because the person requested it in a mysterious unsigned note. But not this time. It was not a normal circumstance at all; she could recognize that handwriting anywhere.

She immediately met with her boss and explained that she would not be able to do the news tonight. He granted her permission, instructing her to do the 10:00 news, and then leave for whatever business she needed to take care of.

"Miss. Ashford?" A bright voice snapped her from her thoughts.

"Hm?" Milly looked up quickly at the co-worker who had just approached her.

"I thought you would like to know that it's nearly 11:00."

"Oh, yes… Thank you." Even though she was already aware of that, Milly thanked the girl politely.

She nodded cheerfully in return. Almost too cheerfully for Milly to handle at that time. "Sorry to intrude, but is it urgent?"

"Ah…" Milly searched for the right words to say and put on her best fake smile. "You could say that. I have a friend who… has been acting strangely."

She frowned a little bit. "All right then… Have a good night."

"You too." Milly slid her jacket on and walked out the door into the unknown of the next few minutes.

Milly pulled her jacket a little tighter as she walked as slowly as she could down the sidewalk. Autumn was coming and the nights began to have a chill to them. It was dark, but streetlights lit the way, casting eerie shadows that danced and twisted along the cold sidewalk as the few people out passed by each other. From the corner of her eye, she could see the approaching alleyway. A pit formed instantly in her stomach and her heart began to pound. When she reached the passage, she stopped, her cold feet unable to move any further, her heels planted in the concrete.

What… is going to happen? Will he actually be here? Could he manage to arrive unnoticed? Would he even want to come and meet with me?

Milly glanced behind her. I could leave now. I could just leave and pretend that I never saw the note or pretend I didn't know where it was supposed to be. She turned on her side, peering down the sidewalk behind her the way she came. Her foot began to move forward the slightest little bit but she stopped herself at once.

What on earth are you thinking? I need to get answers… I can't cower away from him. Milly took a deep breath and rotated slowly on her heel until she faced the alley.

Taking one more deep breath, she walked forward into the narrow passageway, hands trembling and stomach turning.

It was dark, her eyes still needed to adjust to the place devoid of any lighting. Her heart began to race as she realized that she saw no one there.

"Did I… get the wrong place?" She said aloud. "Did he not show up!" Her fists clenched tight as she stood in place for nearly a minute.

Suddenly, from the other side of the alley, she saw a figure.

The figure was about 18 years old, tall and slim. He walked towards her, wearing a long black coat and hat of the same color. His violet eyes were hidden by the bangs of his longish black hair and his beautiful face bore a frown. He stopped when he was a few feet away from her and looked up, revealing those pretty eyes.

"Hello, Lelouch."

He closed his eyes for a moment and took off his hat. "Hello, President."

Milly let out a terrible little laugh. "President? Why call me that, your highness?"

He just smiled.

Milly was surprised at how calmly her voice had sounded when she first spoke. Still, she could hear the slight crack in it that so clearly gave away how close it was to tipping over the edge. But there was something else hidden in her tone of voice.

"You brought me here. You must have something to say." Bitterness. That was the other thing. Bitterness that was trying to mask a still hopeful spirit.

"Milly," He addressed her with her name. "…I'm sorry. I'm sorry that it has to be like this for you. For you, for Rivalz, for everyone..." He paused, looking at the concrete ground beneath them and sighed. "I know you're going to ask, but you can't know. I can't tell you… This meeting is already enough of a risk."

Milly frowned. "Then why? …Why bring me here? Did you ask for me to come just so you could tell me something that I knew was coming?" She could hear her voice rising. "What is going on, Lelouch?"

A sort of pained expression came over him. "I already told you. I can't explain that."

"Then why not?"

The air became tense and all was quiet. "It wouldn't work." He said hesitantly, as if saying anymore than that would give away too much.

A little part of Milly snapped. "Is that why you brought me here?" She asked, "To tell me that all of us from Ashford, your friends, are not important enough to know whyyou took control of the entire world? To know why you've put these terrible, pointless laws into place that oppress the people even more than the numbers had been? Or why you deny peace? Have you really become so corrupt that you've forgotten us? " Milly wasn't sure if she sounded angry or concerned, but she certainly sounded upset.

Lelouch sighed. Suddenly he looked like there so much he wanted to say. So many things that she didn't know and that he couldn't tell her. He looked truly sorrowful, truly sad that he refused to explain anything to her.

"Listen… If I could, I would make it so I could explain everything to you. But it's not that simple. That's why I requested that you meet me here. To apologize and let you know you that there is a reason for everything that has happened over the past few months."

Milly opened her mouth to speak, but Lelouch gently cut her off.

"You're going to say that this just made it worse, aren't you?"

She nodded.

Lelouch smiled sadly. "I figured that's how it would be." He gazed off into the distance. "Perhaps it did. But consider my words… please, try to find something in them." He put his hat back on and turned away from her, beginning to walk.

"Wait! Lelouch!" Milly called out. In an instant, he stopped and turned to look back at her.

"I… I still believe in you… At least part of me still believes in you. The Lelouch we know would never do any of that… so you must… you must have a good reason." Milly could hardly register those words, yet the voice she was hearing from her lips sounded so… fitting. The words just came out, and they felt right. It was as if her heart, not her mind was talking. She stood there, staring at him, waiting for an answer.

Lelouch's expression became peaceful, even somewhat relaxed. Yet there was sadness in his eyes that seemed to be directed at her. "I think… that when the time comes…I think you'll understand." Lelouch smiled a little bit. "Which means I have to apologize for that as well."

With those words, Milly's heart skipped a beat and a dreadful feeling abruptly came over her, like a dark abyss had suddenly opened up and swallowed her whole.

For some reason, she felt like she'd never talk to him again.

Milly stepped forward without hesitation and hugged her dear friend one last time, holding him tight, her fingers gripping the fabric of the back of his coat. He closed his eyes and returned the embrace.

"That's the one other thing I have to say…" Lelouch smiled. "Goodbye… President." He whispered. "And thank you… for befriending me." He let go of his friend and walked out into the night. "…Live well."

Milly watched him walk off until she couldn't see him anymore. Then she was alone, left standing there in the alleyway, crying harder than she had in a very long time.