Six days after Heero’s death, three after Trowa’s, Wufei was more than a little edgy. There was a short pattern forming already, and he did not wish to spend the night alone. His pride, of course, kept him from asking anyone to stay with him.

A knock on his door, accompanied by a familiar voice drew Wufei to his apartment door. A careful look through the peephole eliminated his suspicions, and he disengaged all twelve locks to open the door for his guest.

“Sorry, Wufei. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve just been jumping at every little noise, and I thought that if I was with someone I trust, I might not be so high strung.” Quatre smiled weakly.

Smiling, Wufei nodded. “I understand perfectly. Please, come in.” Stepping aside, he let his guest in, looking the door behind them. “Would you like something to drink?”

“You wouldn’t happen to have any good, strong coffee, would you?” He gave a sheepish grin.

“Actually, I do, but it will only make us more jittery. I already drank half a pot.” Wufei snorted softly at his own weakness. “I’ll go pour us both a cup.” Wufei led the way to the kitchen.

“Thank you.” Quatre smiled warmly.

Wufei pulled down a second mug, filling it with the rich, dark liquid that had been sitting on the warming plate of the coffee machine. “Do you want it black?”

“Please.” Quatre replied, accepting the mug when Wufei handed it to him.

“You shouldn’t have come without a bodyguard.” The scolding was a gentle one.

“Yeah, but I figured it wouldn’t be too dangerous since Heero and Trowa were both killed in their homes.” Quatre shrugged.

Wufei gave a noncommittal grunt, taking a long drink from his mug. Quietly, he contemplated the Arab over the rim of his mug, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. After a moment, he set the mug aside. “So, what do you think the murderer must be like?”

Quatre blinked in surprise at the question and frowned as he thought it over. “A former soldier for sure, someone close to both Heero and Trowa. Might be a Preventer or other law enforcement, probably male.”

Wufei nodded softly, “Have you seen the police reports?” He frowned softly. They had been disclosed to all three remaining pilots the previous day.

“Yes. I think we all have.” Quatre frowned softly.

“I believe I know who the murderer is.” Wufei sighed heavily.

Quatre blinked. “You don’t seriously think Duo did that, do you? Someone must be framing him!” He glared indignantly at the other pilot.

“No, not Duo. It’s not his style.” Wufei shook his head gently.

“Who, then?” Quatre frowned, taking a long sip of his coffee, finishing it off.

Wufei smirked faintly, glanced down at his own mug of coffee pointedly.

With a glance over at Wufei’s mug, Quatre’s frown deepened. “Who, Wufei?”

“Someone very thorough. Someone who pays close attention to details. Someone patient. Someone both Heero and Trowa would trust at their backs. Someone religious. Someone I would let into my apartment without thinking twice.” Wufei smirked darkly.

“What’re you getting at?” Quatre eyed Wufei warily.

“There are only three people both Trowa and Heero trust at their backs. I was with one of them the nights of the murders, and I am also one of the three.” Wufei was glaring holes into the Arab.

Quatre stiffened slightly, smirking as he tipped his head up. “Clever of you, Wufei, but it won’t help you now. I assume you know why I am here.”

Nodding softly, Wufei folded his arms over his chest lightly. “Why?”

Quatre’s smirk curled at the edges, giving it a more manic appearance. “Because I hate you. All of you. I was supposed to be the one to save the world. That was supposed to cleans my soul, to take away the damn screams!” He shivered, eyes narrowing to mere slits, his lips twisting in a snarl. “So now, instead of being able to sleep at night because I know I saved people, I have to use drugs. I can’t go swimming, can’t go to the doctors, can’t do anything because of the damn streaks on my legs, because of all the little holes, because I was not the only pilot like I was supposed to be.”

A soft frown settled on Wufei’s lips as the tirade finished, and he gave a gentle nod. “You did save the world. Just as Duo, Hilde, Heero, Trowa, Relena, and even myself. We simply did so in small ways, at separate times. If you had not used Zero to guide us in that final battle, Libra would have crashed into the earth. If I had not brought Heero the rifle, that last fragment would have hit earth as well. If Duo had not stopped Heero from killing Relena, if Relena had not kept her nose out of our business, if Trowa had not joined OZ, if Hilde had not gotten us that data disk, the world would have been destroyed.”

Quatre blinked, stunned into silence at the short tirade. After a long moment, he snorted softly. “You can’t sway me with your petty arguments. The screams haunt me. That is reason enough!”

Wufei sighed gently. “Do you recall that I informed you I was with someone the nights of the murders?”

“Of course I do!” Quatre snarled, roughly setting down his coffee mug. “Do you take me for an idiot?”

“No.” The Asian smirked softly. “You’re just unobservant.”

“Don’t mock me!” Quatre growled, reaching behind him. A second later, his eyebrows rose, eyes widening as he realized his gun was gone.

“Lookin’ for something, Q?” A deep, rough voice coaxed Quatre into turning around. Duo stood in the kitchen doorway, holding a handgun by the muzzle in gloved hands, a taunting grin on his lips. It was a good thing Wufei never had to ask Duo to keep him company.

“You beast! You foul, loathsome beast!” Quatre screamed in rage, turning around to lunge at Wufei. “I’ll kill you yet!”

The attack was clumsy at best, easily deflected as Wufei deftly stepped to the side, frowning as he grabbed the Arab’s arm. He wasn’t much bigger, but he was a lot stronger than the blond pilot. A few steps and one twisting arm later, Wufei had Quatre pinned up against the wall.

“I’ll call in the uniforms.” Duo stepped out of the doorway, heading to the phone in the living room.

In the meanwhile, Wufei pulled out his Preventers issue restraints, closing them firmly around Quatre’s wrists.

“So. You were with Duo those nights, huh?” Quatre sneered as he was turned around, tossing his head.

“I was.” Wufei gave a light shrug. “It’s how I figured out you killed Trowa and Heero. You were the only person I could think of that they both trusted enough to not shoot first and ask questions later.”

Snorting softly, Quatre glared at his former comrade. “Faggot,” he spat the word out.

Wufei’s eyes widened at the insult, then narrowed dangerously. “You are lucky I have already restrained you, Winner.”

“So you are!” Quatre crowed, his grin growing vicious. “You’re fucking Duo, aren’t you? And you’re afraid to admit it!”

“There’s nothing wrong with being in the closet, Quatre.” Duo stepped into the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a frown. “We made that choice together.”

A knock on the door cut off Quatre’s reply, luring Duo away to answer it.

“I am not afraid of being open.” Wufei scowled at Quatre, “I simply prefer to keep gay men from fawning over me the way most women do.”

Quatre snorted. “Well, you had best be ready, Chang, because I am going to expose you!” He was laughing hysterically as Duo led a pair of police officers into the room.

Sighing, Wufei turned the prisoner over. “I put my restraints on him. I would appreciate getting them back once you’ve changed them. I also gave him a mild sedative in the coffee, though it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“Thank you, Agent Chang. We’ll need you to come down to the station later today to file a report. You, too, Mr. Maxwell.” One of the officers nodded to both Wufei and Duo.

“It’s no problem.” Duo waved a hand in dismissal as the officers escorted Quatre out to a squad car.

When the officers returned to collect evidence, Wufei and Duo vacated the apartment for them, heading out to stay on Duo’s ship.

The next day, the Earth Sphere breathed a collective sigh of relief at a new headline.

Gundam Pilot Murderer Arrested

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