Title: Tiles
Author: kc-chan ([email protected])
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17; this part- PG13
Warning: Language, Violence, special warning- real chants are used here folks, I take no responsibility if you happen to use them and you get hurt/injured. I personally don't mess around with things I have no control over. No daemons were summoned during the scripting of this fic. AU, some OOC. Some bastardization of characters.
Spoilers: After EW, nothing earth shattering.
Pairings: 6x5/5x6 ; 1x2/2x1; 3x4/4x3 ; mentions of 13x6 & 5xM/Mx5... and urm... non-canon later. ^^;;
Archive: www.wired-dna.net; anyone else please email me (not like I am going to say no or anything...)
Disclaimer: not mine...
Thanks to: Lilie the mouse-san ([email protected]) for translating into French!! On another note I am looking for people to correct my German (my grammar sucks...) and people who can translate things into Chinese, Italian, and Russian. Please help!!!
Feedback: anything would be appreciated.

Tiles
Part 2

By: kc-chan

<<Sittin' in a park in the middle of the night
Trying to reason what is wrong from what is right.
I am only as you see me
I am lonely till you free me
I'm a passion cry. >> <1>

Steam swelled around him as he pressed the washcloth against his arm, slowly washing it. Attempting to scrub away the desire swelling deep with in him... "What is wrong with me?" he muttered to the showerhead as it sprayed the warm water about him. Tension of his wanting desire flushed through his mind... The sight of those ebony tresses slipping oh so gently from their binds, black eyes warming up to rich chocolate in the Parisian morning... That slender body pressed against his torso... Tender laughter escaping in the highest point of their slight delirium. Maybe he should have opted for than cold shower... Maybe he was just obsessed with the wrong man...

Sighing, he poured the scented shampoo into his palm and attacked his one long mane of platinum hair. Running the cooler gel into his roots and wishing his problems would melt away. Did the boy have a clue to any idea of how absolutely amazing looked? No, of course not. He sighed and pressed his head against the cool tiles in the shower. Why did he get these impossible crushes? Was it some curse he possessed? And of all the people it had to be... Chang Wufei!

"Trieze, my dear friend... How I could use you now..." he whispered and let the tears slowly run down his cheek, mingling with the water. Here he was entertaining his emotions in a shower in a hotel in the middle of France... He should be stronger... But it felt as if he was missing such a large piece of himself... Wasn't a year long enough to mourn for the man?

Obviously not... Thoughts always threatened to bring back the unstoppable onslaught of tears. God, he was so weak! Ice blue eyes blinked through the mess of water and tears and chuckled. Now he really was messed up... "Millardo... Great you have become so infatuated with the brat you have taken to his mannerisms... What will be next? Calling poor, sweet Noin 'onna'?" he snorted at that and stood straight and rinsed the suds from his glittering mane. The last thing he needed was to go blind because he forgot to wash the soap from his hair.

Steam puffed out from behind glass doors as they opened. Zechs stepped out of the vapor and onto the chilly tiled floor. Wincing at his feet's immediate touch then slowly adjusting to the temperature. A few swift moves he dried himself and wrapped the towel on his waist. Fingers grabbed his watch and using his thumb his wiped the water residue from its face. They had about an hour or so before the others would drop by...

As he strapped the watch on he noticed the slight grin that adorned his face. Yeah... He sighed and wiped the mirror clear of the haze. Grabbing his other towel he began to tediously dry his long tresses. His eyes glazed over as he began his task, revitalizing memories of the few sweet hours he had just spent with his partner.

Those black eyes widened impossibly as they were shown the Eiffel Tower for the first time in reality, not just some picture. Zechs had never truly seen someone so enthused about sight seeing, as if he just happened to stumble upon some secret in Wufei's stubborn and bristly defense. The boys face glowed in the morning light, warm chocolate eyes drinking in this magnificent city with a never ending thirst. He couldn't believe that the immoveable Chang Wufei could be reduced to, and heaven forbid, a normal person. The boy dragged him from Rue to Rue, looking at the old Parisian streets go from dreamily quiet in the early mists to the beginning of the market hours. The brat had a hidden romantic streak in him obviously... Easy to overlook if he hadn't seen the boy's reaction to the Rues...

Basking in the sun's early light, fisher's were down along the river hoping to get a good early catch. The bakers were opening their doors with the billowing aroma of pastries and breads. He had forgotten that Wufei came from such a different world, but he thought that even if L5 was predominately a Chinese Colony, there had to have been something like this... Hell, he *knew* there was streets similar to the streets of old Europe on the now gone L5. How did the boy miss them? Aside from being locked up, no normal kid would have somehow overlooked them... Even in passing...

White teeth bit softy down on his lower lip in a thoughtful reprieve. Could the boy actually not have seen so much? It seemed ridiculous sometimes the contradictions the boy contained. The black eyed boy was obviously a well trained fighter, with practically unparalleled martial arts skills, hand to hand combat skills, and not to mention a sword master. Of course respectively before the age of eighteen. But there was this underlying, almost calculating look in those eyes... Something that he could catch, but rarely got more than a glimpse.

Wufei was too logical, as if anything could be sorted out by thinking and knowledge. Which lead him back to the question that had popped up earlier in his mind... Why did Wufei agree, well almost agree, to take this case? The boy hadn't said no, so Zechs assumed that meant he would take the case...

But why was he so insistent about the case to the boy? He could be just as logical as the boy, but here he was, in Paris hunting down what they believed to be some mystical occult gang. Wufei had scoffed at that assumption, merely replying that it had to be just some hoax the gang was pulling to gain more hype in the media...

Zechs wasn't so sure... Something... or rather some thought kept nagging him from long ago... Words and lectures his dear old friend would give him in the large Krushranada library. Books and volumes... Pictures and nearly crumbled scrolls...

But he had assumed being Chinese, Wufei had some exposure to mythology. His culture was known for their legends and stories spanning back millennia... Things never made sense when it came to that black eyed boy! It was driving him to frustration... This whole case was bothering him and they had barely begun to do anything for it... But it all circled back to some strange behavior going around...

Like Maxwell and the mysterious phone call... Like he didn't know Yuy was trying to distract them. Any idiot would know their attention was being pulled somewhere else... He was one of the top soldiers of OZ for his country's sake! And the case was strange in the mere fact it was along the same lines as the envelope Une had given them...

This was running on an edge that was too close for his liking... Too many things reminding him of his past and Trieze...

Shaking his head of the dust of the remnants of memories, he yanked on a pair of worn jeans Duo had gotten for him from his apartment and shoved his feet into his normal worn black boots. He reached for the door handle and stopped just before it. One hand touched his forehead... Something was wrong... Then it was gone as soon as it came... "What the hell..." he muttered twisting the handle.

~~~~'~~~@@~~~'~~~~

Wufei just nodded as his partner claimed the bathroom after he got out. He wrapped his black stringy strands of hair through the towel... It wouldn't take much to dry them. He refused to make eye contact with the older man as he disappeared in the still slightly steamy bathroom. Only when he heard the click of the door did he release the breath he had been holding.

He dropped back onto the unused bed, limbs and hair scattered in every direction. He didn't need to look in the mirror on the wall across from his position to know the dopey smile that had to be on his face. What was wrong with him? He was acting like ... like something! He growled under his breath, this was why he loathed not getting sleep...

It affected him, even when he was well aware it shouldn't. He use to pull weeks with out sleep... Nataku, he was getting weak... But...

He had never seen such an amazing history walking in the streets of Paris. So different from his culture, yet the same in many ways... They were beyond the dated buildings, yet honored their past... So very strange to him. A stranger in a strange land as the saying went.

Quaint buildings that had been nestled together since olden days of European kings and queens... And Zechs knew it all so incredibly well! He blushed when he remembered his behavior with the taller man. It was strange... He ...well.

Okay. He *knew* Zechs had been flirting with him... It was hard to tell for him... Maxwell had done it mercilessly during the war and Duo was his friend... So he had just assumed. But perhaps he had been reading it wrong...

But he actually allowed himself to slip his mask aside slightly... Zechs arms felt splendid around him. Standing, he walked over to get the room in a slight bit more order... Passing the mirror he scowled. Blushing like some simple schoolgirl was not going to do. He glared at himself willing the blush to go away.

And then when that didn't work he sighed and collapsed into the chair and opened one the numerous folders tossed about the room. Balancing the manila folder in one of his hands, lean fingers skimmed through the papers. There had to be something that these loony cult wannabes were deriving from. They had to have more intelligence than that...

He sighed, it was really pointless for him to be doing anything until the blood samples went to and came back from Sally and Noin. It pissed him off that the bodies were gone and that any autopsy was moot, now. So the blood samples would be the only help they would be getting now... And he had to wait for them to arrive at Sally's office. He hated being patient.

Laying down the folder, its contents disheveled and left open on the chair, he walked over to the phone. Letting his fingers do the remembering, he dialed Sally's office number, with a quick glance he figured she would have been in already... Well, Sally or Noin.

"Hello! Doctor Sally- Hey! Wufei, how are you?" Sally asked brightly, brushing a curl over her shoulders and beaming a grin his way. "Don't tell me you're finally taking my advice and went on a vacation?"

A pink blush spread across his cheeks, "Why would you think that!?" he got out, rather sternly.

A rich giggle responded. "Your office number wasn't appearing... Hey! You're in France!!"

"How would you know?" Wufei blurted out in his own defense before he could think better of it.

"Calm down! Geez, you would think this was your trial or something... " Sally murmured, rolling her eyes. "Look, the phone merely popped up the number and listed your location as France. No biggie."

"Hey Wu!" Noin called upon walking past. She paused and peered over Sally's shoulder. "You're on vacation, in France?"

Wufei glared balefully. "I am *not* on vacation!!" He practically spit out that word. As if the word vacation was on par with something like the Black Plague or worse. "And my name is *Wufei*, not those bastardizations everyone seems to love to use! Wufei. One word."

"Touch�... And call it what you will, a vacation, a holiday, a sabbatical, even a weekend away..." Noin drawled, rolling her bright eyes.

"Zechs and I are on a case!" Wufei replied, slowly regaining his control.

"Sure...." Sally bemused. "Wufei, dear, you make it sound as if you would rather cut off your arm than go on a vacation..."

"Uh-huh..." Noin giggled, sharing a knowing glance at Sally.

"We are working!!!" Was all Wufei had to say in his defense. He scrubbed his hand along the backside of jeans and looked to the wall for a revelation... or at least a change in topics. "I just wanted to call and tell you we had blood samples from the case sent your way..."

Immediately Sally brushed Noin aside and took out a pen and paper. "I'm listening..."

"Finally..." Wufei muttered and continued a bit louder. "Yesterday we were called in, a hotel... I forget the name, but the Police should be able to tell you when the blood samples get there. But I had a question."

"I'll give you a call when the samples reach my hands, and are they top priority?" Sally asked.

He mused for a second, tapping his finger against his chin thoughtfully. "Not sure... Depends on your answer to my next question..."

"Shoot."

"Okay... They bodies had a lot of blood removed from them, in some cases completely drained. We thought it might be some eccentric occult murder gang, but there were no normal fang bites, you know that deal. Anyways, the blood was removed from strange spots, things that in some cases an extensive autopsy would probably have been needed to find where the blood had been drawn..." He explained, running the facts through his own head while talking.

Sally thought for a moment, "Well, I'll tell you when I get the bodies. You are having them sent I assume?"

"We were going to..."

"But....?" She asked, drawing out the sound.

"The bodies were stolen last night. A little over a half a dozen bodies disappeared within three minutes and no one saw a thing." Wufei replied.

A slim eyebrow raised in scathing disbelief.

"Not joking." Wufei replied to her gesture.

"Great. No bodies, only blood samples?" came the grunting reply. "I maybe one hell of a doctor, but I am no means a miracle worker, Wu..."

"Aa. But my original question was how hard would it be for a person to function if hypothetically let's say nine tenths of the blood was removed from them?" He posed the question to her.

The answer came immediately. "Impossible. Organs need at least two to three tenths of the blood in your body just to function... Brain process would have frozen and the person would be worse off than a vegetable."

Black eyes blinked. "I'm not doubting you, Sally. But really?"

A stern nod.

A sigh escaped him and he slumped into the chair by his desk. "Masaka... Then I am at a loss." She waited for him to continue. Fingers rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "They were at a ball at the time, Sally. Moving and then poof! They all drop dead with most if not all their blood removed. I only really inspected three or four of the victims..."

"Go on. Tell me what you know. Maybe we can figure something out..." Sally pressed.

"The first..." He debated on telling Sally whether or not the girl was supposedly Hirde... Finally, he decided against it. "The first was a girl, severely malnourished and the blood had been removed from her somehow, that rendered her eyes unable to open."

"Sewn shut?" Sally asked, pen scribbling away.

"Ah...no. No visible signs of anything like that. They wouldn't open."

"Same with the other victims?"

"The next two their eyes opened fine, but boy slash victim number two had blood stains on the insides of his teeth."

The golden curled woman paused and blinked her eyes at him. Tapping her pen on the legal pad she pondered briefly. "Needle your assuming?"

"Yeah... No large gashes, just a theory..." he responded.

"You're probably right. I'll take your theory then. The other?" She asked, resuming their discussion.

"Boy, eyes opened, no stains on teeth...but there were small drops of blood on his collar. I would assume back of head in the hairline."

A long sigh. "So basically you really needed that autopsy but with the bodies gone, you can't tell how the blood was removed, even how much? That's a lot of theory and guess work, Wu..." Sally said.

An unenthusiastic nod was her reply. "No kidding. Zechs and them think it is occult crap."

"And you're thinking of dropping the case?" She waited for his response.

"Sally... " He half whined and half sulked. "This whole thing is delving into a load of crap."

"Or you just don't want to believe that perhaps there is something greater than a mere human involved?" She argued back.

Black orbs glared at her. "Please. It was probably tricks and mirrors-"

"Smoke and mirrors?" She corrected.

A flash when across black eyes warning her. "What ever the American phrase... It was mere humans, people are trying to find a quick way to write off the case."

"And you aren't? Wufei, look. If you don't think it was majik or occult and merely human, then why aren't you staying on the case? Something is obviously bothering you, and it is because, for once, you are stumped. For all your logic and knowledge, there is nothing that can explain this... Except majik." Sally argued with him. She had a feeling that there was more a personal matter dwelling behind the boy's reasoning but she wasn't going to ask that just yet.

"Masaka." Wufei dismissed with a shake of his head.

"Then prove it. I'll give you a call when I get through with the blood samples. Talk to you later." Sally stated. "Bye." And she hung up her end of the line.

He glared at the black static on the phone. Reaching forward he disconnected his side as well, with probably more than was needed. He wanted to vent some anger that was slowly dwelling in him. Wondering *how* she *always* was able to throw in the last word and cut him off at the right moment to let his thoughts fester.

~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~

Duo yawned and snuggled against his lover. He wanted to get some sleep before they would pick up Lady Une. Placing his head in the crook of Heero's neck, he purred and nestled closer.

"Is there a reason for you to be doing that?" Heero teased, patting his lover's mop of chestnut waves spreading like rivers and creeks across their sheets.

"Hm?" the violet eyed boy asked, pulling back some. "Your warm. I'm tired."

"I'm confused. What is going on?" Heero replied wrapping his arm around that lithe waist. The other reached around to play with the ends of the tresses floating about them.

"About?" Duo hedged, blinking as innocently as humanly possible.

"Duo... Please. You *know* how hard it is to distract one trained pilot, let alone two. So I think I should get something for distracting them. What is going on?" Heero pressed, mercilessly stroking his love's back.

With a purr and a snuggle, Duo replied. "Nothing much, Hee-chan. I gotta speak to boss-lady first."

"Une?"

"Yeppers. She'll know what's going on. 'Sides I wanna know exactly *why* Wu-man and Zechsie are on this case to begin with." The America said, sitting up and straddling his lover.

"Hm?" Heero murmured and gently rearranged himself. Placing fingers on his love's pearly white thigh and attempting to massage out his worries.

"Whadda you mean 'hm', huh? You know this already out ranks normal by many people's standards. Hell, it outranks normal for their skills. They shouldn't be on this case. You and I both know that, Hee-chan. And yet, for some damned reason Une went to them first... And had Quatre on backup and waiting to call them." Duo pressed.

"I still am not following." The Japanese boy replied calmly.

"She purposely left me outta the loop, Yuy. That she probably wasn't counting on Wu-man to call me. That, Wufei wasn't supposed to call us. That *I* would have been left in the dark."

Trying to smooth out tensing muscles, Heero sighed. "You really think that?"

"Look at the facts." Duo countered.

"Hirde is still alive, isn't she?" Heero asked, watching his lover's eyes.

Violet orbs blinked, then slyly narrowed. "That's what I get for lovin you. You can read me like a book."

"Hn." The Japanese boy replied, one hand sneaking around to cup his lover's behind and give it a gentle squeeze. "They didn't buy it."

"Shit. Didn't think they would have fallen hook, line and sinker... Zechsie is one alert guy."

"Chang even more so."

"Yeah, it always is the silent ones... Alright. I met up with Quatre in the ballroom."

One rich brown eyebrow raised in some surprise.

"That's what thought. I am really getting the hunch something is happening, and I really don't like *not* knowing the details..."

"Majik?" Heero asked softly, carefully sitting up and brushing his lips along Duo's neck.

Violet eyes fluttered closed and lips let out a whimpering purr.

"Hmmm. Yeah. Q-man and I noticed the designs and patterns on the floor. Unfortunately, I don't know what they mean, and if Quatre knew... well he wasn't telling me."

"You don't think he was telling you, or you don't think he knew?" Heero rephrased Duo's reply into a question.

"I'm leanin towards Quat didn't recognize them... 'Sides, that wouldn't be something he would know. Ain't his niche." Duo gave.

Heero stopped and leaned back, staring up at his love, "So, how do you know the symbols and crap on the floor were bad?"

Duo shot him a look. "I may not know their exact meanings, Hee-chan, but give me some credit, alright? Markings on a floor where a bunch of people dropped dead do not fall into one of those happy protection spells categories, alright?"

"And Marquise and Chang fit into this how?"

The American stood steadfastly silent under that cobalt eyes.

"Duo..."

Softly Duo replied, Heero straining his ears to hear the words. "Une has something planned, or even worse, someone above Une-chan has something planned."

"Her superiors? I thought she was in charge..."

"She has many backers in this Preventer schpeel Hee-chan. Enterprises, corporations, governments. Hell even the Winners have their hands in it."

"That wasn't what I meant. No shit the Preventers have government and corporate sponsors, who undoubtedly can pull a few strings. What I meant was who of them or which group could pull strings to launch the six of her best to Paris on a seemingly wild goose chase?"

"But that's the point I'm making. That she didn't send six of us, or five because Q-man ain't one of us... But obviously he was in this set up with her. Because he knew an awful lot for just happening to be by that hotel and at the right time..."

Heero snorted. "I think you don't trust Une, Duo."

"Like you do?" The American shot back.

Tilting his head to the side Heero gave him a look.

"Yeah. Thought not." Duo snorted flipping a strand of his chestnut mane over his shoulder.

"We've only been with the Preventer's for a little over a month -officially." He added with Duo's violet glare. "Officially. Mariemaia doesn't count. We were affiliates. Marquise has been with Une since it formed after the end of the first war. And even Chang has a few good month's on us..."

"Kudos to him. So they get an air conditioned office and a file cabinet out of it. Ring-a-ding-ding. 'Sides, Wu is too much of an independent fighter, why did Une-i-kins pop *them* together?"

"Aesthetically pleasing?"

Duo smacked his lover on the head. "Fine time to develop a sense of humour, Hee-chan."

"They have similar fighting styles, are extremists, and are both hot headed asses at times?"

"Be serious, love." Duo snorted. "I mean, don't you find it rather odd that Wu-man spent almost the entire war avoiding us, not fighting with us, though he and I made one hell of a team but I digress, and generally telling us to go piss in the wind?"

Heero remained silent waiting to see where his lover was going with his little revelations... Somehow Heero felt there was more to this than Duo was going to let on. When it was apparent Duo was waiting for a reply, he continued. "I don't think that has anything to do with why we are in Paris, love."

"Yes it does. I want to know why Wu-chan and Zechsie get along swimmingly and we get the cold shoulder-"

"We don't- "

"We *do*. We do, Hee-chan. Aside from Q-man, Wufei never refers to us by our names. It's always 'Maxwell this'... or 'Barton that'. I think the only time he has actually said Duo was out of screeching embarrassment. Yet he's with Zechsie for what? Three or four months and its 'Zechs this' and 'Zechs that'?"

A smile crept onto Heero's lips. "You're jealous."

"What?" Violet eyes narrowed slightly.

The Japanese youth grinned. "You're jealous of Wufei. Duo, both him and Marquise have similar pasts, they obviously get along well. You are not loosing him to Zechs. Duo, Chang merely has a crush on Zechs. I thought you would have been more encouraging than this... Besides, this has nothing to do with the case."

Silently, Duo stood up and replied, "Get up, love. Une-i-kins will be here and we should be waiting for her."

With that, Duo walked into the bathroom to wash up leaving Heero looking at the back of his lover rather strangely. Muttering to himself, below his love's hearing, "Why do I feel like I've just stepped on his tail again...?" Stifling a sigh, he followed in turn to his love hitting the shower...

~~~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~~

Noin peered over Sally's shoulder then to the black screen. Then back and forth between the two again. "Sally?"

"Hm?" the said woman replied softly.

"What's wrong?" Noin pressed, watching her friend continue to stare at the monitor.

"I don't understand that boy, Lu, seriously, I don't."

That statement earned a hearty chuckle from the black haired woman. "Sally, puh-lease... Who does get *that* boy?"

A light laugh replied, and Sally stood with a stretch. "Point. No, I meant their case... or lack thereof."

"Lack thereof?" parroted Lucrezia.

"Hm." The doctor nodded and picked up her pad she had set down near the screen. She walked over to the office phone, and dialed out. "Hello, Jack? Yeah, the moment any blood samples, body parts, even a fingernail arrives from any office in Paris, France, I want them. ASAP. Understood? Great." She hung up and turned to her partner.

"Now, do you care to elaborate, or will I sit here and drag every detail from you word by word?" Noin asked, eyeing Sally.

With a light shrug, Sally dropped into her chair and nursed her cooling tea. "Wufei calls asking about these blood samples that him and Zechs, are having sent.. Then... Then he asks questions about the bodies."

"So?" Noin asked, pouring a cup of the rancid black coffee into her own mug. "Sounds like a normal case to me. Actually, its rare they even have to get samples done, but hey, sooner or later even *they* need your help."

Sally looked at the clip board and recited back to Lucrezia, "The bodies had much of the blood removed- in some cases completely drained. They mulled the idea of occult connections- vampires, you know the deal. No such luck there. No fang marks. Anyways, the blood was removed from strange spots, things that in some cases an extensive autopsy would probably have been needed to find where the blood had been drawn..."

The black haired woman let out a low whistle, "So, we got a bunch of dead people lying around with no, or very little blood in them?"

"Had."

"Had? What they reanimated their legs and strolled off?" Noin replied incredulously.

"Exactly my reply. According to Wufei, the bodies disappeared within three minutes and no one saw a thing." Sally replied, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"How many bodies?" Noin asked, tipping back her cup and downing the rest of her coffee.

"He was rather vague, half a dozen or more. Those were his figures more or less. I'll find out later when the samples get here." The blonde haired woman replied softly.

"So they found six or more dead people in a hotel? No occult connections?"

Sally nodded. "Then he mentions that they were dancing at a ball at the time of the apparent murder. No one saw anything."

"Pretty strange, Sal, if you ask me." Lucrezia snorted.

"My thoughts exactly. You mind handing me my schedule?" Noin reached over and then handed the clip board to the curly blonde. "Thanks."

"No problem." She stood up and poured herself another cup.

"What's your schedule for today?" Sally asked, not looking up from hers.

"Hm? Oh. Training doesn't being for another two or three months, no large scale battles for me to pilot a suit in, my patrol with Harrison doesn't leave for another month, so Une has me mulling about doing office shit."

"Harrison?"

"The red haired, Irish guy, another former OZ Specialist. Great guy. We went through the academy together. We volunteered to take the L2 patrol next month for a few weeks cause the regs are on vacation." Noin explained.

Sally laughed and looked at her friend. "Missing space already I see."

"No kidding. But for now I get to be bored stiff." Noin lamented.

"Great. Be a doll and check what other stiffs are going to be hanging around today."

"You know, I never thought with all my training, I would get suckered into playing "doctor" with a bunch of dead guys." Noin joked, pulling on the mask and gloves.

"What? Reminding you of your social life?" Sally smiled.

"Bidahhhhhhhh!!!" Noin stuck out her tongue before heading over to the days work.

"Same to you." Sally replied, sticking her tongue right back out at Noin.

"Hey, Sal?"

"Hm?"

"Remind me to give Zechsie a call later."

"Dare I ask why?"

"Because I haven't seen certain people around the office."

"And, that means what?"

"If those certain people are where I think they are...I just think this type of case seems to be heading in a certain direction."

"Oh?"

"Don't worry Po. I think it's just a wee bit too convenient that's all."

"You sound like there's more to it than that."

"There might be. Don't worry, Zechs'll take care of Wufei. Trust me."

"That's not what I'm worried about..." Sally replied softly and silently continued. "I'm just worried Wufei won't let him... Kami, I hope his stupid stubbornness doesn't cause him more problems..."

~~~~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~

Lady Une had been watching the landscape dash past her window for some time and was thrilled when the buildings started clustering together, giving way to the undergrounds of the old city. She allowed a small smile before she let it go.

Hearing the rush of steam release itself she looked up, and noticed they had arrived at the station. Gathering her belongings, she waited for a break in the other passengers before stepping out of her seat and out of the train.

Running her eyes along the crowds she sensed out and noticed her favorite troublesome Preventer glowering at her. Nodding, she walked towards them. "Hello Duo."

Violet eyes gleamed in the most violent of ways, while a barely sweet grin was plastered on his features.

"Lady." The Prussian eyed boy curtly nodded.

"Thank you for picking me up, Heero. Anyone care to explain things?" She asked as Heero lead them back to his bike.

"Oh I would have thought you would have already known, Lady." Duo remarked, flipping his braid over his shoulder.

She watched the way it swung and how it reminded her of a cat's tail. "On the contrary Maxwell, I am in the dark as much as anyone."

"Hn." The American replied.

Heero revved his engine and Duo climbed on, and Une after him. It was somewhat of a tight squeeze, but they managed. That is until Heero lifted his foot off the pavement and tore off through the narrow streets.

Duo didn't say anything as Une's hands tightened around his waist. He placed a hand over her arm and just pulled her closer. As angry as he was, he didn't want to see her spread in a colorful array of guts across the Parisian streets.

Duo entertained a whole five minutes of silence before closing his eyes and asking //Anne?//

Brown eyes blinked in slight surprise and she replied, //Ja, Duo?//

//Was auf der Fuck gehen?// He curtly asked, throwing any tact out the window.

She smiled and leaned closer. //Warum?//

His feral grin widened and he replied. //Ah. Ich sehe, da� gleiten wir in gelegtes zur�ck einsetzen. Fein mit mir. Sagt. Warum sind Zechs und Wufei herauf Fall diesen und ich bin nicht? Keine Handlung, vor sie fur es nicht bereiten.// <2>

Duo felt the smile against his cheek, and looked out of the corner of his eyes and his smile became real. //Was?//

// Nichts. Ich bin dich �berrascht lebendig noch. Die Weise antreibt die Ihr Freund, Ich w�rde mich entwickelt haben eine Furcht vor Tod jetzt.//

A rich chuckle. // Sie vergessen, Anne. Ich bin Tod.// <3>

She shook her head and laughed. //Ja. Aber Ihre Frage beantworten, und versprechen Sie mich, da� Sie werden nicht gest�rt.//

// Zu sp�t f�r das. Ich werde gest�rt..// He snorted.

// Dank f�r die Stimme des Vertrauens.//

// Immer wenn, gorgeous. Immer wenn.// <4>

//Zechs. Vorlagen Trieze war sein Lehrer, Duo.// She started softly. She always hated bringing up *his* name. It was unceasingly painful...

//Shhh. Dauern Sie Ihre Zeit. Wir beide beklagen ihn, liebe.// Duo leaned his head against hers. For a few moments they just let the air fly past them.

//Zechs, Gedanke aus Praxis heraus, kennt die vielen k�nste.// She finally continued.

// Sie schei�en ich.// He blinked and looked over his shoulder, searching her brown eyes with his vibrant violet ones. <5>

//Wufei... Wufei...Er ist...// She fumbled. There was no easy way of saying this to her Duo.

//Nein.// He replied sternly. Duo knew where this was heading, Quatre mentioned something along those lines last night and the American refused to put his friend through it.

//Was?// Anne blinked in shock. //Duo...//

// Sie h�rten mich. Ich besagtes kein. Ich werde nicht... Ich kann nicht ihn wie der leiden lassen. Nicht wieder. Keine von ihnen.// The braided boy pressed. <6>

// Wir sehen.//

//Aber-//

// Wir sehen. Lassen Sie es an dem. Schicksal kann dieses von unserer Wahl plaziert haben, kitty, sich erinnern an das.// She responded soothingly. <7>

//Fuck fate. This conversation is far from over. We are talking later.// He pressed. Timing was wonderfully perfect as Heero pulled them up to the massive hotel where their friends were staying.

Getting off the bike, Heero exchanged a narrow-eyed glance between the two of them. "So, are you two going to fill me in or do I get to guess the entire time?"

Duo hissed and his eyes glowed strangely before he brushed past his lover and whispered, "Later."

Lady Une merely shook her head. "This is what I get for bring you people on board. Fates and the gods are mocking me... I know it!"

"We need the day off." Duo interrupted waiting by the revolving doors for them.

"You what?" The brown eyed woman asked incredulously.

Snatching his lover's arm and walking through the door he repeated once she entered the hotel. "We need the day off."

She gaped at him then replied, "No. Are you kidding me? I arrived today Maxwell. I am not giving you all a day off. It's out of the question."

Heero rolled his eyes and merely rubbed his hand along his love's pale arm. "Not much is happening. The bodies were stolen last night."

"Come again?" She asked, not even trying to conceal her disbelief.

"The bodies flew the coup, Annie." Duo repeated sweetly, batting his eyes at her, and promptly ignoring the frown she gave him in reply.

"Last night between the guard changes we lost the bodies." Heero offered, leading them towards the main desk.

Darkly, Duo's eyes flashed and dipped his head and whispered to Lady Une, "Hey, Une-i-kins? When were you gonna let me know you had Q-man spotting things out for you, hm?"

She gulped and slowly met his eyes. "Point. Why do you want the day off Duo?"

The brilliant white of his teeth flashed, "Me and Q-man are taking a certain disgruntled boy on a well needed shopping venture!!"

Attempting in vain not to twitch, she sweetly pressed out between her teeth. "You want the day off to *shop*?"

An arm hooked Duo's and Une's, and suddenly Heero was dragging them towards the elevator. "Come on, Lady I'll fill you in about the case on the way up."

~~~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~~

Zechs scrolled his eyes over the large expansive dining room, and took a hold of his partner's arm. "There they are."

"Where?" The smaller boy asked looking around.

"Come on. I can see them." And Zechs lead Wufei towards the already sitting group.

It was probably a sight many would never have believed. Lady Une, the head of the Preventers, sipping coffee, surrounded by four of the five most deadly former terrorists Earth had ever know. Zechs' grin widened and came up to the table, "Sorry we're late. Hope we didn't keep you waiting."

Quatre smiled and sipped his tea. "Oh we don't mind. I can not vouch for the wait staff though."

Ice blues caught the dangerous glare from twin violet gems. There was no mistaking the violence caught in them and then he noticed they weren't glaring at him per say, but his gentle hold on his partner's arm. Duo's lips pulled back in a snarl, invisible to everyone save him. Zechs quickly released his partner's arm and took a seat, wisely picking up the menu.

What the blonde missed was the slight wavering look of disappointment of the broken contact that had crossed Wufei's eyes momentarily, before the boy himself took a seat.

Heero glanced over to his right, wondering if he had missed something. But noticing the violet-eyed American smiling and looking over the menu, he figured it must have been nothing.

"Lady, Did they fill you in on what has been happening?" Zechs asked, leaning his menu down and looking over at her.

"In a way, personality I want your two's opinions as well as Mr. Barton's and Mr. Winner's input." She replied, then turned to the waiter to give him her order.

The blonde laughed, "I'm afraid that it was Wufei and Zechs who gathered the most information. Myself and Trowa just happened to stumble across it."

"I hope we aren't ruining your vacation..." Une replied.

The grin that slipped onto the angelic blonde's face was anything but sweet. "Oh no, personally I feel that murder always adds a certain something to family vacations, am I right love?"

Trowa grinned and nodded. "It will certainly make this trip memorable."

The waiter departed with their orders, drinks were served and polite conversation played with itself. Aside from the typical chatter, Une turned to Wufei and asked softly, "Could you give me your opinion on this case, Maxwell and Yuy were grazing over the details."

Black orbs looked over to his left bearing into her brown hued eyes. "About eight dead, dropped down dead at a ball. Blood was probably removed from them, in unobvious spots, can't tell you for sure since the bodies were stolen in under three minutes early this morning. So far all we have are blood samples that should get to Sally this afternoon, not that I think it'll shed light on this case. Media has been blaring stories about occult-ish nonsense, the entire hotel staff seems inclined to agree."

She blinked. "Ah, well I'll get the rest I'm sure in your report."

"*That* was my report, Lady Une." Wufei replied curtly, turning his black eyes away.

"Oh." She replied. After a few minutes of silence she turned her thoughts to Zechs, "Anything to add to that...err... blunt report, Zechs?"

The platinum blonde cocked his head in thought, "Other than the manner it was presented, nope."

"You make Wufei write all your guys reports don't you?" the Japanese youth asked from across the table, cobalt blue eyes twinkling in humour.

Ice blue eyes sparkled in glee, "Une tends not to bother coming after us if Wu writes the reports."

"Yours are too long." The Chinese boy shot back.

"I let Duo handle ours... Funny, Une you've never commented on ours..." Heero grinned, turning his eyes to the said woman.

"That's because I can't make sense of his reports. I let the filing department handle them." She grinned, resting her chin on her palms.

Violet eyes glared, and he snorted. "You mean to tell me that the infamous reports al a Maxwell aren't good enough for you?"

Trowa rolled his eyes, "Duo, even the doctors use to complain they couldn't understand them..."

"I can understand why." Une giggled, "A report entitled 'My day of hell spent with Head Demoness Relena the Bitch in the whom of doom' doesn't quite cut it with the accounts department."

Zechs blinked, mused and asked the American, "She dragged you shopping?"

Duo looked up with a grin, "How did you guess?"

"I'm her brother." Came the chuckled reply.

"My condolences." Duo remarked.

~~~~~~'~~~@@~~'~~~~~

"I hate you, I despise you, I hope you will rot in *hell* for this Maxwell!!" said an irate, glaring teenager, trying his best to free his arm from the American's mighty grip.

The violet eyed teen merely laughed and continued to drag his friend though the Parisian streets. "I love you too, Wu-kun!!"

"Don't call me that!" the black eyed boy hissed.

"See, this is why we have to do this... You need to relax, Wufei." Quatre smiled over at his friend, who was captured by the wrist by the wild American.

"No kidding, you're going to die of stress before anything." Duo remarked, starting to skip.

"How did you get her to agree to *this*?!" Wufei bemoaned. It wasn't exactly something he would have thought Lady Une to do. Sure she was only a year or two older than Zechs, but agreeing to let them go out shopping?! When she arrived to pick through a murder case!?

Quatre chuckled and winked at the disgruntled boy, "Duo has such a way with woman."

"What you poisoned her?" the Chinese boy spat out.

"Nope." The blonde replied.

"Told her we never really destroyed our Gundams?" he tried again.

"Nuh-uh." Duo grinned over his shoulder.

"You threatened to post the pictures of her in lingerie from her OZ days on the Preventers forum?" he tried again. There were plenty of things Duo had to blackmail many people, and sometimes Wufei wondered where the crazy American stored it all.

"I don't have those..." Duo remarked, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"Those were me." The Arabian replied.

Black eyes blinked... "Aa. That's right. Maxwell has those only with Krushranada."

"Really? Trowa has a set of those to..." the turquoise eyed youth smiled sweetly. Like they were discussing the weather and not potential blackmail material.

"But *how*? How in hell did *she* get talked into *this*?!" Wufei pushed his point again, trying to get back to his original point.

"She fell to the irrespirable Maxwell charm!" Duo crowed, gaining some strange stares from the Paris natives, not to mention grumbles about the intelligence of Americans.

"You poisoned her." The golden skinned boy said again.

The braided boy skidded to a halt and inconsequentially ended up having the Chinese boy crash into him. Quatre merely strode up to them, looking as if he was too amused by the whole situation.

"Hm, that does seem like a great place to start. Come along Wufei." And the Arabian hooked his arm through the bewildered boy and dragged him towards the shop. Duo strode with a large smile planted on his features, looking all to amused, next to them.

"Actually, you wouldn't' believe the weight the Winner name carries in the Preventers Wu-i-kins!" Duo laughed, twinkling eyes turning to the pouting boy next to him.

That said boy twitched. "'Wu-i-kins?" he grated out. "How hard is it to pronounce two syllables, Maxwell?"

Something unreadable flashed in the American's eyes, before replaced by something else. "Dunno. How hard is it to pronounce one syllable?" Duo turned, braid whipping behind him and he walked into the store, leaving Quatre and a very confused Wufei standing outside.

And for the first time in a long while Wufei felt something tug at his heart. It was something that tended to happen more now that the wars were over and he had been developing somewhat standing friendships with his fellow former pilots.

Without even turning to the Winner heir, Wufei's voice whispered, "He's upset at me..."

The blonde stepped closer, watching emotion playing on his friend's usually impassive face. "Don't worry about it. He's... He's been a little upset lately."

"Why?"

Turquoise eyes blinked in surprise. He wasn't expecting their friend to inquire into it more. Pausing for a second, then replying, "I'm not actually sure, Wufei. I think only Duo really knows the answer to that."

He waited another second then nudged his friend, "Let's go in, and maybe you should ask him."

"Aa." The Chinese boy agreed, and let himself be dragged in after the blonde.

Unconsciously, once Quatre released his hand, Wufei bit his lower lip. It was a habit he really wasn't aware that he had formed over the last few months. It only happened when he wasn't very sure of what to do. Scholars rarely had the social skills that all of his other pilot's, even the immovable Yuy, seemed to possess.

Black eyes almost searched desperately for the violet eyed youth. Finding him, separate from the blonde, Wufei walked towards the American.

Duo blinked to find Wufei standing next to him. "I'm putting a bell on you."

Duo snickered at the strange look that crossed his friend's face. "What?"

"You sneak up on people. One of these days you're gonna give me a heart attack Wu-man." Duo smirked.

The American waited. The Chinese boy didn't correct him. Instead the reply he gave was, "What did I do wrong?"

"Huh?" Duo replied intelligently.

"Why are you upset at me?" the Chinese youth asked, black eyes looking nervously around.

All former anger faded and the American drew his friend into a hug. He felt hesitant arms circle his waist in return and a barely faint murmured, "I'm sorry."

Pulling back slightly, Duo looked down. Raking a hand through his hand he sighed, black orbs looking very upset. The American felt bad. His lover was right, he was Wufei's best friend. Hell they all had one pilot that they got along with the best. Quatre, Trowa, and his Hee-chan were the best of friends. Quatre and his Heero were best of friends, and while Trowa did get along with Wufei well, he also turned to his Heero as well. Funny as it was, the two extremes in their group got along well. Wufei was his best friend, and the Chinese pilot had a mushy sensitive streak five miles wide, the only problem was finding it. And it seemed his luck that he happened to come across it fairly easily with the other boy.

He saw Wufei's mask of indifference, while the apt black-eyed boy saw through his jester's mask just as easily. "No need to be sorry, Wu-kun."

"No, I upset you. Why?" the boy asked.

And a sigh escaped the American again. He wasn't sure this was the time to talk about this, but Quatre was going through clothes racks with the woman in the store, pulling out one object before moving onto another. Wu was going to end up with more clothes than he would ever need.

"It's nothing."

"It is something, Maxwell, otherwise it would not be bothering you." The boy replied.

"Drop it, Wu."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing..."

"It's something, Maxwell-"

"Duo."

Black eyes blinked, "What?"

"Duo. My name is Duo." The American replied.

For the life of him the Chinese youth looked very confused, "I know what you're name is Max-"

"Then use it." Duo curtly cut his friend off.

Wufei looked taken aback for a moment. It didn't last long because Quatre came up, with the saleswoman behind him. The blonde was grinning furiously. "Hope I'm interrupting." The glares he received proved him right. He nabbed the Chinese youth's arm, "Come on."

"Wh...What?!" Wufei blinked.

"Today, we are going shopping Wufei." The Arab grinned. And it looked as if the blonde could have told him he had terminal cancer just as easily with the frightened look that crossed those delicate features.

And three and a half hours and five stores later, found them in another dressing room with another pile of clothes.

Wufei growled threatingly at his friends as Duo twirled him about. "I am *not* your doll Winner!"

The Arab giggled, watching their pretty Chinese friend flush bright red. "Oh, I know that! But it is a pity... You would be a perfect doll to play dress up with!"

"QUATRE!!" black eyes widened impossibly.

A thin finger tapped his chin thoughtfully, turquoise eyes sparkling with evil thoughts, "Though Tro-kun isn't that bad either."

"I don't need to know these things!" Wufei flushed.

Duo smirked, leaning down to rest his chin on his smaller friend's shoulder. "Dare I tell you about my shopping trip with Demoness Relena? You wouldn't believe the stores Hee-chan and I were pulled into... They even made Hee-chan *blush*"

Both the other two paled considerably.

"And that store with the whips..." Duo continued, "That girl as admirable S&M taste for a pacifist."

Wufei looked like he was going to faint.

"But I think she was merely shopping for her "friend" Dorothy's b-day..." he finished with a grin.

Quatre blinked and decided to move onto another store before the American decided it was time to share more stories with them... Besides, He wasn't sure if Wufei could handle any more.

~~~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~~~

Heero liked people watching, it was a habit he had long acquired as a terrorist slash solider. He did it on every mission, watching guard changes, security breeches, and enemies weaknesses...

A little know fact was that Trowa liked to do it as well.

"You know, I always marveled at the trust people place in their security systems." The green eyed boy remarked, watching his friend rework the security system of the Paris Police Headquarters.

"No kidding. Done." He tucked his small, hand-held computer back into his bag. "Considering how easy their systems are to break into and dupe."

"Maybe to us mere mortals they seem a little more apt than you would think." The brown haired boy grinned.

Cobalt blue eyes rolled. "Please. Admit it, they are not well guarded for being a government building."

Standing up and brushing some dirt off himself, Trowa replied, "Are you always this bitter when there's no adrenaline rush involved in a mission?"

With a snort the Japanese boy lowered himself over the side and checked out the window. "Clear. Come on, laughing boy."

With another grin, the former Heavyarms pilot flipped over the side and climbed into the window after his friend.

~~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~

"What? What did I do wrong?" Wufei bemoaned in whispered to his ancestors. Four hours of shopping, and he was certain that the packages would be crowding his front hall when he came back. He was stupid to think telling Quatre that packages would crowd his hotel room would dissuade the Arabian from shopping.

No, he would now have a front hall filled to the brim of packages of clothing. He knew somewhere in the universe his ancestors were laughing at him.

And to make matters worse, Winner had stolen his hair band again. He loathed having his hair down. He swore he was going to shave his head one day.

"Stop pouting, Wu-i-kins" Duo grinned.

"WuFEI. WuFEI. One word." The Chinese boy murmured for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

Quatre grinned, "You know Duo, the other night we went out to eat-"

"Shut up Winner."

A sweet zero-ish grin crossed the angelic blonde's face. "And the entire male wait staff spent the night flirting with him."

"I hate you."

"Ne?" Violet eyes lit up. "None of the female staff?"

Black eyes bore a thousand threats of dead at the Winner heir.

"They thought he was a pretty little girl. So delicate!" Quatre laughed whilst the American nearly fell over with tears from laughing so hard.

Wufei glared balefully at both of them.

~~~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~~

Trowa looked over his shoulder at the former Wing pilot tapping away at the system, pulling up files quicker than should be humanly possible. He turned back to the set up files he was painfully going through. "Manual files", Heero had said, "Would be a waste of time. Everything would be on their system."

It was true, most of these files were at least sixty to eighty years old. Old day disks with info sheets briefly describing their holdings. But something told him to look through them.

His little lover used the same method. Anything truly too important would have hard copies made, never even entered onto the Winner systems, and placed in vaults, where most people would never think to look.

Closing one draw, he pulled open another. Flipping through the files, he absently asked, "Any luck?"

"Hn." Came the reply. "Not much, but we will now have hard files of the information they have on the victims, blood tests, all that basic information."

"All the information we never truly got." Trowa rephrased.

"Exactly."

"How much on the victims?" the green eye boy asked, never looking up from reading and processing what was written on the files he was slipping through.

"Not a lot..." Heero hedged.

"But enough for us to start hunting down better information a lot quicker?"

"Exactly." Open his bag, Heero pulled out a disk. "I'm going to upload the files."

"Hmmm..." The taller boy replied.

Double checking everything was fine, the dark brown haired youth turned to face the taller one. "What? I didn't like that noise."

Turning, Trowa mutely handed the Japanese boy a stack of folders. Raising an eyebrow in question, Heero opened them. Blue eyes widening. "There were no disks with these were there?"

"Nope." Trowa replied, turning back to close and lock the last draw to the row of file cabinets and turned back to the blue eyed teen.

"Trowa, these are..."

"Yep."

"Shit."

"My thoughts exactly."

~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~

Wufei watched as a small little Asian teen walked past them. In a way she reminded him of Meiren. That time Meiren had wore that dress that nearly caused him to have a heart attack. The passing girl's figure was cute, but had nothing on Meiren's. Meiren had a much more sexier curve to her body, not to mention breasts. Something that this girl was seriously lacking- "ITA!"

Duo glared at his friend. "You deserved that." He growled softly yanking the Chinese boy by his new ponytail holder- Duo's fist.

"You didn't have to yank my hair!" Wufei glared back.

Releasing the said abused silk strands, Duo frowned, "You aren't allowed to do that!"

Quatre rolled his eyes and leaned against a building watching his friends. It was going to be quite a show.

"Do what!?" the black eyed boy pouted, rubbing his hand on the said abused spot.

"The only people you're allowed to check out is me, Q-man..." Duo mock scolded.

The Chinese boy flushed and glared at the American and opened his mouth to reply.

Sunny stranded haired youth beat him to it. "Or Zechs." The blonde offered.

At that moment Wufei looked like he was ready to die. "What?!?"

A braid flopped to the side as Duo tilted his head, pretending to think over that point before nodding concisely. "Or Zechs."

"I am allowed to look at girls, Maxwell!!" Wufei blushed.

Quatre chuckled as his violet eyed friend actually pretended to look upset. "I have a helluva better than *her*!! I am much better scenery!!!" And if to add to that point, Duo flipped his braid in a very Relena like manner over his shoulder. Leaning closer to his friend, Duo dropped his voice to a very husky tone, "Don't you agree, Wu-chan?"

By this time Quatre was laughing, tears in the corner of his eyes. He didn't think it was even possible for his Asian friend to turn that colour of red.

When the boy failed to respond, the violet eyed teen moved closer still. "Or would it be better if I was a taller, European blonde?"

Wufei looked ready to for hell to open up under him and swallow him whole. "MAXWELL!!!!"

"Don't deny it, Wu-chan. Can't lie to me!" the braided boy continued mercilessly.

"We aren't like that!! He's my partner!" Wufei managed to get out.

Quatre clutched his arms around his stomach, he was laughing so hard. Didn't Wufei realize he just set himself up for the fall?

"That is certainly one hell of an interesting 'partner' relationship-"

Smack.

Quatre stopped laughing and Duo blinked rapidly. A hand slowly touched his cheek, where the Chinese youth had slapped him. And suddenly a blur of black and Wufei was sprinting away from them.

Quatre pushed himself off the wall and grabbed Duo's hand before the American could take off in a dead sprint after his friend. "Let go."

"No." the blonde stated firmly.

Violet eyes turned and narrowed, "Let. Go. Now." He hissed.

"And I said no. Don't make me make you sit down Duo." Quatre threatened, aqua eyes burning just as brightly.

And Duo backed off, knowing full well the Arab would come through on his threats. Instead he tossed his hands on his hips. "I just majorly fucked up."

Tilting his head to the side, Quatre regarded him. "We forget that our Wufei is a little sensitive about certain things, that's all."

"I shouldn't have teased that much..." Duo started but stopped at the hand placed on his arm.

"Possibly not." The blonde looked forward, squinting in the direction their black haired friend had taken off in. "He might have needed to hear it, Duo."

The braided Preventer shook his head. "Not like that."

"Something is wrong with you two. No, let me rephrase that. Something is making you a bit nastier than usual and it seems to relate to what's going on or happening around Wufei." The aqua eyed boy stated, finally turning to regard his slightly taller friend.

With a sigh, Duo rolled back on his heels, rocking back and forth. "Tell me the truth Quatre. What does Anne want with him?"

Light flashed across the pale Arabian's features. "To tell you the truth, I'm only half sure, Duo. I'm rather in the dark, I can only guess what is really happening." He paused then added a bit more silently, "I don't think Anne knows what's going on either..."

"Who?" Violet eyes tinged gold for a moment.

"That is something I want to know as well." Releasing his friend from his grip he took a step back. "He is headed along rue Vavin. I'll take my time, but I suggest you hurry and cut him off at a small park along there."

With a nod, Duo set off in a sprint.

~~~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~~

Heero looked up from his download and cocked his head to the side. "Someone's coming." A few seconds later the download was finished.

"Fine." Trowa replied picking up Heero's bag, the disk, and the loose folders. Tucking them in, he headed towards the window and slipped into the shadows. "Call if you need me."

"Meaning?" Heero asked, watching the shadows.

"You deal with it, after all, this is your field of play not mine." The Frenchman smiled.

"Hn." Came the reply. Heero strode to the door and stepped to the side.

The door opened and one the person was inside hands shut the door behind him and the person was shoved further into the room.

"Vous avez trois secondes pour vous expliquer." Heero snarled watching the woman from his own shadows. <8>

"I don't think I should have to." the woman replied in a deeply accented voice.

"Qui �tes-vous? Vous n'appartenez pas � la police parisienne." Trowa asked from his corner watching the woman who had neatly stood against the computer light in order to silhouette any distinguishing features. He fruitfully hoped Heero would be able to get something out of her.

"Hm? Non, je n'en fais pas partie. Je veux les dossiers maintenant, pilotes." Her words seem to hiss through the air.

A low growl alerted Trowa of Heero's approach towards her. "Pourquoi?"

If he could have seen her face, Trowa suspected he would have seen a smile on her features. "Cela ne vous regarde pas." <9>

The Japanese boy lunged at the woman with the swiftness of any wild creature closing in on its prey.

There was a flash and the shriek of claws on metal. A knife caught the light and for a mere moment Trowa recognized the woman. Blood dripped onto the floor and Heero snarled, putting one arm out as if gesturing to keep the tall European from stepping forward. But it didn't matter as he felt the energy growing around them. "Je vais employer d'autres mani�res." she hissed. <10>

And Trowa *knew* that voice, and whether she had planned on them knowing who she was or not, he now knew... And as they say, knowledge was power.

"ANAIL NATHROCK UTHVASS BETHUDD DOCHIEL DIENDE!" the woman screamed and light flashed on in the room. An instant later she was gone.

"Let's go." Trowa whispered into his friend's ear. "Now."

A consenting nod and they were climbing out the window and jumping across the three foot wide gap to the other building. Leaping and making their escape.

"Who was she?" Heero asked pausing on a rooftop several blocks from the Police building.

"You didn't see?" the green eyed boy asked.

"Not clearly, but she sounded familiar..." Heero mused.

"She should." Trowa replied, stretching and scanning for any more signs of struggle. Finding none, he turned to look at the shorter man. "That was Sylvia Noventa." And cobalt blue eyes widened in shock.

~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~

He glared over his folded arms, biting his lip because men didn't cry. Which is why he was sitting on a bench, now hopelessly lost thanks to his emotional outburst, with his arms wrapped around his knees. But it had *hurt*. It hurt him that Duo had teased him and wouldn't stop.

Black eyes shut tightly against tears. Something he had done must have upset his friend and he wished for the life of him he knew what...

"Is this seat taken?" a soft, hushed voice asked into his ear.

Familiar arms wrapped around him from behind and a cheek pressed up against his head. "I'm sorry, Wu. I was being an insensitive fuck."

"What did I do wrong?" the Chinese boy asked just as quietly, not turning around to look at his friend.

The braided boy sighed, closing his eyes. "Nothing. It's me."

Wufei stared forward, silence lingering between them as the rush of a foreign tongue swirled about the Chinese teenager's head. He carefully replayed the last few days events in his head, carefully marking any point where Duo would have snapped at him.

// "How hard is it to pronounce two syllables, Maxwell?"

"Dunno. How hard is it to pronounce one syllable?" //

And it hit him.

//"Duo. My name is Duo."

"I know what you're name is Max-"

"Then use it." //

Swallowing slowly he lifted his head slightly. "Your jealous of Zechs."

Somehow those words hit the American harder than they should have. Arms tightened marginally around his smaller friend the instant that man's name escape those lips. "Maa, maa..." Duo tried to sound like his normal self.

The black eyed boy cut him off. "You shouldn't be."

Duo blinked and looked up. Removing his arms, he took a seat next the Asian on the bench. "I know. I know. But I am, Wu-man. I mean we're best buddies. You're the guy I get drunk with. I'm the only one who's ever puked in your toilet, and hell I'm the only one who really knows you. At least I was."

"Duo..."

Violet eyes started forward, not daring to look at the black orbs that would make him loose his resolve. "We use to share everything. I guess I got use to that, and I got selfish. Cause suddenly, you treated Zechs the same way."

"Duo. I don't tell Zechs half of the stuff you know about me..." Wufei started.

"You call *him* by his *first* name Wu." Fingers started playing with the end of his braid.

Silence pounded for long minutes before in an barely audible whisper Wufei replied, "I call Quatre by his first name."

"Who doesn't? Even Hee-chan calls Q-man by his first name. Relena calls Q by his first name. Hell, *Dorothy* calls Quat by his first name. He doesn't count. No one calls him Winner, its like sacrilege or something." Duo drawled back.

"So why can't you call me or any of the rest of us by our first names? You've know us longer than Zechsie, and it only took you what, a month to drop Marquise and switch to Zechs. And I know it shouldn't, but it hurt." Duo whispered, continuing slowly.

Wufei swallowed what he swore was his heart in his throat. He sometimes forgot how observant Duo actually was. "I guess at first it was how I was use to it. My culture last name comes first..." He started slowly, clenching and unclenching his fingers, watching them intensely, anywhere but his best friend.

"I wanted the distance..." he finished.

"Distance? Whadda you mean, Wu-man? I'm not quite understandin you here..." Duo asked, turning to his left to look at the raven black hair blowing in the warm breeze.

Tilting his head to the side slightly, the Asian took a deep breath. If there was one thing about their friendship he would never get use to was the American's openness. He couldn't undo fourteen years of culture and social mannerisms, or at least he had always assumed that.

Duo's carefree grins and openness proved him wrong. And if anyone could get him to talk it had always been Maxwell. His violet eyed friend held him as he sobbed about Meiren, talked him through hysteria when his colony was destroyed, and became something between a lover, best friend, and brother to him.

"I am not good at making friends... Duo, you know that." It felt strange saying the boy's name, though it took a little less effort than he thought it would have. "I'm not good at that... I'm sorry, I really am. I was..." he squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to say his next few words even if they would upset his friend. "I was afraid of truly letting go of something familiar, Duo. It's hard, because I feel that I am letting myself drift away from everything I find so stationary... I don't have many things that are constant... My mannerisms are one thing I always relied on. They are my mask...I need ... needed them."

"But-" Duo tried to cut in. He saw the self destruction in his friend's black orbs. If there was one thing Wufei didn't have enough of, it was self-confidence...

Ignoring, or simply not hearing his friend Wufei pushed to keep speaking. If he kept going it would come out. And he knew it needed to. And he could always sort things out later... "But it was different with Zechs... He started out acting like you, and I was lonely, Duo! You and everyone were far away, and for once I wanted you near me... And Zechs was acting like you... Teasing me, torturing me, pulling me out on the weekends... And then when you and Yuy joined, I finally realized it wasn't the same... That you didn't joke like he did... That he was actually... And I started to like it... I liked getting that attention from him!! I liked seeing his eyes light up when I said his name!! Kami-sama... Duo... I.... I..."

Violet eyes didn't even have time to blink as a black capped head pressed into his chest, gold fingers gripping his shoulders, and tears curling down bronze cheeks. Hesitantly, pale fingers brushed through his friend's silky strands. He felt for the boy. Wufei wasn't the easiest person to get along with emotion. The braided boy realized that Wufei had been holding this inside for a good while, and wasn't sure how to handle it.

He knew the guilt Wufei was feeling to his dead wife, even without the boy coming out and saying it. And while they liked, and even approved of Zechs like family, he knew that Wufei was scared to admit what ever feeling was growing inside him. So he decided that the boy needed to know he was forgiven...

"Say it again." Duo whispered.

"What?" Wufei asked, looking up and meeting his friend's shining eyes.

"My name." Duo replied.

And before he could help it, a shy smile lit up his face and he whispered, "Duo."

"Come on. I think the caf� Q-man wanted to have a late lunch at was around here... You feeling better?" The American asked.

"Mm. Thank you." Wufei smiled, albeit shyly at his friend. He did feel better getting it out of him.

"Next time, don't wait till it is too much, okay?" Violet eyes pleaded.

"Promise." Wufei nodded.

"Good. Now tell me, has Zechs kissed you yet? I mean we haven't approved of him yet..." Duo laughed.

"DUO!!!" Wufei flushed.

~~~~~~~'~~@@~~'~~~~~~~

to be continued...

Notes:
<1> From the poem 'Passion Cry'... And it is (c)1997 Terry Moore who is a wonderful writer/artist who writes Strangers in Paradise... www.strangersinparadise.com and I soooo used this without permission and I beg his humble forgiveness... no money was made from this fic... and I have nothing... sniffles... I am not worthy... I only wish I could write as well as him...
<2> //Anne?//
//Yes, Duo?//
//What the fuck is going on?//
//Why?//
//Ah, I see we are slipping into a more laid back setting. Fine with me. Tell me. Why are Zechs and Wufei heading up this case and I am not? No offence, they are not ready for it.//
<3> //What?//
//Nothing. Just that I surprised you are still alive. The way your boyfriend drives, I would have developed a fear of death by now.//
//You forget, Anne. I am Death.//
<4> //Yes. But to answer your question, and promise me you won't be upset.//
//Too late for that. I am upset.//
//Thanks for the vote of confidence.//
//Anytime, gorgeous. Anytime.//
<5> //Zechs. Master Trieze was his teacher, Duo.//
//Shhh. Take your time. We both mourn him, love.// .
//Zechs, thought out of practice, knows a great deal of the arts.//
//You're shitting me.//
<6> //Wufei... Wufei...He is...//
//No.//
//What?// Anne blinked in shock. //Duo...//
//You heard me. I said no. I will not... I can not let him suffer like that. Not again. Neither of them.//
<7> //We'll see.//
//But-//
//We'll see. Leave it at that. Fate may have placed this from our choice, kitty, remember that.//
<8> "You have three seconds to explain who you are."
"I don't think I should have to"
<9> "Who are you? You are not with the Paris Police."
"Hm? No, I am not. I want the files now pilots"
"Why?"
"No concern of yours."
<10> "I'll deal with this another way."

~~~~~'~~~@

NEXT TIME:

~~~~'~~~~@

"Lady, why are we here?" Zechs asked, looking up at the sickeningly familiar grand home he had spent more than one summer at in his youth.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked, looking over at him.

"Depends." He replied bluntly.

"How much do you remember?" her words said little to anybody but the two of them. And the weight they carried haunted and scared him.

"It wasn't an accident we were placed on this case, was there?" he asked steadily, keeping all emotion from reaching his words or features.

"I'm sorry." Was all she offered.

"Not yet." He replied, ice eyes flashing dangerously. "Not yet."

~~~~~~~~~