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The day was warm. Or well it looked that way from behind the glass of the mansion windows. In all reality it was rather cold out there, with a harsh wind blowing the grass in the fields rather hard to the ground. The trees weren�t much better off either. It was late fall and the leaves were just beginning to leave the trees. It was clouded over, but it didn�t stop a thing that was supposed to happen. Quatre pressed his hands against the window and blinked at the feel of the cold glass. He was wearing his pants and vest, hoping the day would clear up. He looked at the night table clock. It was close to six in the morning. He sighed. Trowa was still sleeping, curled up in the blankets of the bed. Quatre sat down on his side of the bed and sighed again. The other three should be here some time soon. Or he hoped. All had arranged to meet at the mansion to have a time together just the five. A few weeks actually. Something they hadn�t done in a long time. Since before Trowa and he were even an idea. Trowa groaned and rolled over to face Quatre, still partially asleep. Quatre turned to him, a faint smile on his lips. �Morning Trowa, how�d you sleep?�
�You�re up early.� He propped himself up on his elbow, the covers falling from his bare chest. Quatre lied back down next to him with a third sigh.
�I�m worried that the guys won�t get here. There�s gonna be a storm and I don�t want them to get hurt.�
�Ca�mere,� Trowa wrapped his free arm around Quatre's shoulders and kissed his forehead. �They�ll be fine. You worry too much, lack of sleep.�
Quatre leaned his head against Trowa's chest. �You think so? I hope so. If something happened to them, I don�t know what I�d do.�
�Go back to sleep, Quatre,� Trowa ran his hand through Quatre's blonde hair, speaking quietly. �They�ll be here and we�ll go to the city to goof off like we used to before any of us were tied down.� He smiled as Quatre started to snore lightly. He was asleep. Trowa leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes. �Besides, little one, they won�t be here till this afternoon.�
Trowa jumped to a start as the thunder cracked some time later. Quatre was still asleep against his chest, breathing quietly. He looked at the clock. It was about ten. Trying not to wake Quatre, Trowa got up and headed for the bathroom to take a shower. He heard the bathroom door open a few minutes later. �Quatre, you�re up,� Trowa spoke over the running water.
Quatre groaned, rubbing his eyes. �Kinda. Not totally, I woke up when I realized you were gone.� He picked up his toothbrush, moving the shower curtains, oblivious to Trowa, shoving the toothbrush under the water, then returning to the sink. Not that Trowa minded, a little bit of a warning would have been nice. �I�m gonna take a shower when you�re done.�
�Okay,� Trowa nodded, rinsing the soap out of his short brown hair.
�What time did they say they were gonna be here?� Quatre spit in to the sink. �Or did they?�
�They did.� Trowa nodded, shutting off the water. �Sometime this afternoon. That�s why I wanted you to get some sleep.� He picked up his towel and wrapped it around his waist. �The storm�s a ruff one though.� He opened the bathroom door, the cold room temperature air hitting his water beaded chest. �So don�t worry about it, okay, little one?�
�Okay, Trowa,� Quatre smiled as he took off his vest. �And feed Rocko for me, would you?�
�If I can find him.� Trowa closed the door and heard the water start again. He shook his head as he got dressed, throwing his towel on the bed. Picking it back up, he grabbed his wallet and walked out of the room to find the cat. The cat was in the kitchen eating already, the paper on the counter. �Huh?� Trowa sat down and picked up the paper. �One of the housekeepers must have fed him.� He opened the paper, laying it on the counter so he could read it. Once again, Quatre was in the paper. This time about the new repairs to one of the satellites near the L2 Colony. Rocko jumped up on the counter with a meow as the thunder cracked again, followed by lightning that Trowa could see out the window. Water from his hair dripped onto the paper, leaving a dark spot among the words. �Rocko, get down.� Trowa set the cat on the floor as Quatre walked in the room, his towel in hand, pressed to his head.
�Did you start the coffee?�
�I thought you did before you came in the bathroom.�
�Trowa why would I walk half way across the house to start coffee and not feed my cat?�
�Did one of the housekeepers?�
�They�re not here. They all went home yesterday, remember?�
�No,� Trowa cocked his head to look at Quatre as he sat at the counter across from him. �Huh? On well.�
�Oh, well? Trowa some one�s in our house!�
�Big deal.� Trowa yawned. �It�s not really a big deal.�
�And you said I needed some sleep. I�m gonna go look around.� He stood back up.
�I�m coming.� Trowa got up, following Quatre. �It�s probably one of the guys playing a joke.�
�But you said they weren�t gonna be here till this afternoon.� He stopped. �Very funny Trowa.�
�What? You think I did this? Right, come on Quatre, I�ve been down there for three minutes. You can�t make a whole pot of coffee in three minutes. And Rocko was eating. Are you sure you sent the housekeeping home?�
�Yes,� he nodded. �I watched them walk off, out the door, to their cars. Bye-bye.� He waved at Trowa. �And no, I haven�t lost my mind!�
�Right.� He nodded, agreeing with Quatre. �Well, then, who is in the house?�
�I don�t KNOW!� he yelled the last word, then yelped as the front door cracked open. He jumped at Trowa, wrapping his arms around him, shaking. Trowa sighed.
�It�s the wind Quatre.� He pried himself from Quatre and went to the door, but stopped as it opened some more. The lightning flashed again and Trowa laughed. �It�s only Heero.�
�Oh,� Quatre stood up off the floor, clutching his towel. �I knew that.� He laughed nervously. �Heero, you�re here early.�
�Yeah, well, I wanted to beat the storm.� He closed the door and messed up his hair trying to get the water out of it. �Quatre can I see that towel?�
He handed the towel to the fearless Japanese youth. �You see any of the others?�
�No,� Heero shook his head. �But I talked to Duo last night and he said he was gonna be here early in the morning.�
�Duo,� Quatre growled. �I shoulda known. He likes to drink coffee.� He shook his head. �When I get my hands on him�� he trailed off, headed for the closet to grab the baseball bat.
�Quatre,� Trowa rolled his eyes, shaking his head. �Leave that in the closet.�
Quatre slammed the door, the bat in hand. �I plan on wrapping this around his throat!� he ran off towards the livingroom, laughing evilly.
�Well,� Trowa heard the door slam. �You want some coffee Heero?�
�Sure,� he nodded and the two walked down to the kitchen to see Wufei sitting at the counter, cup in hand. �Hey Wufei,�
�Hey, Heero, Trowa, where�s Quatre?�
�How�d you get in the house?� Trowa looked at him baffled. �When did you get here?�
�Just barely. I came in the back door. I put my bike in the garage so the leather doesn�t get cracked.�
�Okay, so where�s Duo?� Trowa nodded, getting two mugs out of the cabinet.
�I don�t know.� Wufei shrugged. �Who gives a fuck where Maxwell is either?� he laughed. �I don�t.�
�Wufei, knock it off. Quatre's off looking for him. If his car�s not out front. Was his Jeep in the garage Wufei?�
�No,� he shook his head. �I didn�t see it if it was.�
�Oh boy,� Trowa rolled his eyes. �Hey, Wufei did you move the paper that was on the counter?�
Wufei picked up his hands and cup. �What paper?�
�Huh?� Trowa looked at Heero. �I hope he gets Duo. He�s in so much shit with Quatre, it�s not funny.�
At that same second Quatre burst into the room, white as a sheet, breathing hard. �I�I saw�ha, ha! Duo, he�� Quatre pointed back down the hall. He dropped the bat. �Trowa!� Heero caught him as he fainted.
�That�s new.� Trowa said. �Well he saw Duo. So he�s in the house, but what made him like this?�
�I don�t know,� Wufei jumped down and helped Heero put the little blonde on the counter top. �But,� he picked up the bat. �I plan on thwacking Maxwell one if I see him.�
�Where was he going?� Heero asked.
�To the livingroom.� Trowa led the way as the three walked down to the living room where a single piece of paper lay on the floor, a picture paper clipped to it. Trowa picked it up and looked at the picture. It was of Duo's Jeep, off the side of the road, a wreck. �Look, must be an old picture.� He handed it to Heero, as Wufei tapped the baseball bat in hand.
�What�s the paper say?� he asked.
Trowa looked down at it. It was in Duo's messy handwriting:
Guys�
I see you got the picture if you�re reading this. Nice huh? I did that on the way up to Quatre's mansion. Sorry I couldn�t make it guys. I didn�t live the crash. I guess my deal with the Satin ran out. I�ll miss you all, especially Quatre. Tell him not to be worried or sad, I�ll watch over him from my place in Hell. Or show him this. I want you to know I did a lot of things I regret, but for all the good of peace. Anyway, before you all get to crying over me, like I know you won�t, I best be going. Talk to you on the other side, well, maybe not all of you. Heero, Trowa and Wufei, I�ll see you in Hell, we all know Quatre's gonna become an angel anyway.
Duo Maxwell
�He can�t be dead, can he?� Wufei dropped the bat to his side. �Let me see the picture.� He held out his hand as Heero gave him the picture. �Well it�s his Jeep.�
�Then how did this get here? Trowa where was this taken?�
�Down the road a few miles. Looks like it was this morning too. See the clouds.� Trowa pointed at the picture in Wufei's hand.
�Can he really be dead?� Wufei cocked his head.
�Did you see him?� Quatre was back, shaking, but on his feet. �Duo was in here when I came in. Only he wasn�t totally there.�
�Duo's never been all there Quatre,� Wufei shook his head.
�I know. I mean�Wufei!� Quatre glared at him. �No, I mean he was transparent. Like we was�� Quatre gulped.
�Duo,� Heero looked around the room. �I know you�re still here. Whether you�re alive or not, you�re here and when I find you. I�m gonna kick your ass. You shouldn�t be playing with Quatre like this. You know how sensitive he is!�
All four heard the laugh. It was Duo, but it didn�t sound right in some way, it sounded hollow and their thought came true when he spoke. �Ah, guys, I told you I�d watch you. I�m one of Satin�s demons. I can come and go as I please, bringing and doing what I please.� He laughed again.
Quatre's eyes grew wide and he ran to Trowa. Quatre was always careful with the paranormal anyway. Trowa shook his head, wrapping his arms around Quatre. �Duo, knock it off.�
The door creaked a bit and in walked the transparent form of Duo Maxwell as the others knew him. �Look I�m still here.�
�This is not funny Duo!� Quatre yelled. �If you�re dead, then go! If not, cut the shit.�
�Temper,� Duo laughed. �You of all people Quatre, I�m impressed. Listen guys, I�m not gonna hurt you really. I�m just gonna hang out for a while. Like we were supposed to. It�s not my fault that the roads were fucking slippery, was it? I got running late and this is what happened. Everyone dies some day, I just got to first.� All the while Duo talked he walked up to the four.
Wufei, not believing it, took a swing at the ghost and it vanished into thin air, reappearing on the table. �Damn you.� He turned to Duo as he laughed.
�I told you, guys, I�m dead.�
Heero raised an eyebrow at the ghost. �Really?�
�Yep, why wouldn�t I be?� Duo nodded.
�Hmm,� Heero turned and walked out. A second later, Duo could be heard.
�Hey, Heero, cut it out. Give that back.�
�Some ghost,� Heero walked in with a small hologram device, throwing it to Trowa. Duo came in and crossed his arms.
�Thanks Heero, you jerk. I was having fun. The house is wired so I can bug you where ever you go.� He laughed.
Quatre's face dropped and he stepped from Trowa up to Duo. �Why you�� he hauled off and decked Duo, dropping him to the floor.
The rest started laughing as Duo, rubbing his cheek, sat up. �Quatre, what�d you do that for?�
�I wonder!� he looked down at Duo.
�Well, the picture, Duo, explain that.� Wufei held it up between his fingers.
�Oh, that? Easy. I took a picture of the scape the last time I was here and just pasted it as the background to the before picture of my Jeep and added in the little Maxwell seal that�s now on the Jeep.� He stood up and pointed at the small ankh backed with a scythe. �Getting in the house to set up my hologram stuff was hard. I�ve been here since three this morning. My Jeep�s out back, behind the hedges and I�ve got my lock picking set right here.� He held it up. �And the paper�s in the dinning room.�
�Maxwell!� Wufei swung at him with the bat. �God damn you! I�m gonna kill you!�
Duo yelped and ducked, still laughing. �Hey, Heero, one thing. How�s you know it was a hologram?�
�From my angle, you could see the dust.� He crossed his arms. �How long did it take for you to come up with this?�
�Not long. The hardest part was writing up that letter of goodbye. Although it was funny, it was hard.� He ducked again, but grabbed the bat, yanking it from Wufei. He blinked in amazement that Duo had got the bat and crossed his arms. Duo shouldered the bat. �I think I�ll keep this, too.�
Trowa tossed the device in hand. �You make this from scratch Duo?� he looked at him. �This whole set up is actually pretty good, I must admit.�
�You fed Rocko!� Quatre glared at him. �Didn�t you?�
�Yep. Kept you asleep didn�t it? I also started the coffee. You try getting up at midnight, then drive three hours and not go back to bed. I went to bed yesterday at about ten. I�ve only had two hours of sleep!�
Heero crossed his arms. �Duo, you are unbelievable some days you know that. Some days you are just unbelievable!�