I couldn’t help swearing under my breath as I crossed the street. The intersection of fifth and Glass was always busy, and it was especially busy during lunch hour on Monday afternoons. Whatever it was that Heero had for me had better be good. Trowa and I came back a week early from our honeymoon to spend time with each other at home. That did not mean for him to be alone at home while I get nearly run over by a Minute Maid truck. The things I put up with.

I finally made it across the street in one piece, minus a few million skin cells (thanks to the Suburban for not yielding), and walked with a frown to The Oasis. I hoped against hope that this wouldn’t take long. I hated going in there. Well, hate was too strong a word. I seriously loathed going in there. Even Wufei wouldn’t step foot in that place! The Oasis was not a sports bar exactly, but a sort of place where the geniuses of the colony would go there to prove to themselves and to one another who was the greatest genius. Like a bar full of nerds instead of alcoholics. Of course, they ALL thought they were the smartest, so everyday (or so I heard) they would spend countless hours going back and forth with debates, arguments, and who knew what else. This was also a great place to get information if you didn’t mind paying an arm and a leg for it. But of course the company there was as pleasant as listening to a banshee sing.

Yes, I was crabby. If you were passing up snuggle time with Trowa, you would be crabby too.

I all but kicked the door open, walking almost blind into the room as my eyes had not adjusted from the sunlight outside. I was able to see clearly just in time to avoid tripping over a chair that was out in the middle of the aisle, and wished I had fangs to bare at all the staring faces. That’s how it always was with a newcomer. Everyone has to stare. I didn’t understand what the problem was though. Everyone here was dressed in nice polo shirts and khaki pants with the penny loafer shoes. I had on my infamous ripped up jeans and a white t–shirt, looking like a bum off the street, which was my goal. I didn’t want anyone to think that I would be a repeat visitor. Besides, I came for Heero. It’s not like I needed to put on a three--piece suit for him.

Goodness. Could I be even crabbier?

“Odin,” I murmured to myself, glancing around the spacious building for a messy head of brown hair. “Don’t think I won’t turn around and go back home. You better pop up quick.”

“I’m right behind you.”

I turned around and sure enough he was standing there, arms crossed with this stupid smirk on his face. What I really would’ve given for fangs then. “Wonderful,” I said, mustering up as much sarcasm as I had in my little body. “Care to explain what all this is about?” I continued to complain as he walked to the counter, picked up two drinks and started walking towards a table by a window. “Seriously. We get home at three in the morning, and two minutes later you call, telling me how I am going to be here to talk to you, without you even considering what I had planned for today!”

“Relax Quatre,” he said as we were seating ourselves. “It’s not even noon yet. You have the rest of the day to have sex.”

“Humph! I’ll remember that when you and Duo are trying to spend ‘quality time’ together.”

“Go right ahead. More than likely Duo will remove your head.”

“We’ll see about that. But seriously, what’s this about?”

He took a sip of his drink and it was at that time I realized the second cup was for me. So taking a sip of that, I found it was lemonade. Good too. “There’s something I want you to know. Not only that, there is something that’s been bugging me. Wufei too, and I’ve taken it upon myself to try and sort it out with you, see what thoughts you have, etc.”

Crabby or not, this seemed to need my attention. “What is it you want me to know?”

He sighed. “You know about the boy who looked like Trowa.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Didn’t that scare you?”

I snorted. “That terrified me. Next time around who knows what will happen.”

“So you’re of the opinion he’ll come back.”

I released a slow, deep breath. “Without a doubt.”

“Then it’s good that I called you.” He reached out and patted my knuckles. “Everyone seems to think that this is over. I do not, and neither do you. And for some reason, you and I have some sort of connection to this that allows us to see what the others don’t.”

“And what’s that?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. But that doesn’t mean we can’t figure it out.”

“Okay. So what are you thinking?”

“I’m aware of the incident at the library,” he said slowly.

“Yeah?”

“And of the way the boy died.”

“Yeaaaaaah?”

“Was Duo acting strange beforehand?”

I paused. “What? How did he get into this?”

“Duo stayed away from you when we left for Frankfurt because he knew that Krahe was around. He felt his presence. Think about it. Wufei and I were gone, so who was there as a buffer? No one.”

To think that the whole time he was there. The whole time! “When did you find this out?” I asked, panicked.

“Before your wedding.”

“Was he at the wedding?”

“No.”

“Is he at my home?”

“No.”

“Does Duo have any idea where he could be?”

“Not really no. He just knew he was there. He couldn’t specify any location. He only knew that he was around when he was at his apartment and at the library.”

“The library?!” I ignored the few faces that turned in our direction. “No, that can’t be right. Krahe wouldn’t just hang around in the shadows if he knew he had a clear shot at getting me. Or killing me if he wants!”

“He did try to get you, remember?”

I shook my head. “No he didn’t. He didn’t even appear. It was just the crow.”

Heero then leaned forward, his face impassive as he whispered, “The crow was Krahe.”

“WHAT?!” I screamed across the building, bringing everyone’s attention to me, not that I cared. “That was him?! I don’t believe this. How the hell? Wait. No no no. That doesn’t make sense.”

“Who says it has to?”

“Everything in nature follows rules Odin. There is a set of laws that every creature in the universe has to follow. You are a scientific person. You above all should understand that.”

“I do understand that Quatre! But that doesn’t apply to him.”

“Yes it does, it’s just that the rules dramatically bend for him, that’s all.”

“If that’s your thinking then why do you say it doesn’t make sense?”

“Because I’m in denial,” I finished, flopping backwards in the booth. I turned my head to look out the window, vaguely watching a couple walk by hand in hand. “I’m in denial.”

“Get out of it quick. That’s not going to help you when he comes back, and you’ll have your son to consider as well.”

“I know,” I sighed, running my hand over my face. “I swear to everything holy and unholy alike, if he touches my son...”

“Don’t even think that,” Heero snapped. He then visibly relaxed, but I was surprised at the amount of vehemence that appeared over his face when I said that. “Let’s not let our thoughts go that way.”

I could only nod.

“Now that you know it was him,” he said, scratching at his stubble, “there are other things I want to talk to you about. Things that concern you.”

“Me?”

“Yes,” he finished, tiredly. “I know that many things do not add up, but some of those things stick out more than others. I’ve been going over every detail I can remember since we first went to that place two years ago, and the thing that really stands out is the way he’s acted towards you. But what caught my attention the most was the way you’ve reacted towards him.”

“What are you saying?”

He gave me a very cold glare. Not the coldest I’ve even seen on him, but enough to make me want to check to see if I had icicles on my eyebrows. “What I’m saying Quatre, is that I know there is more that has happened than what we have seen. Things have gone on between the two of you that none of us have witnessed, and I want to know what those things are.”

My heart fell into the pit of my stomach. There were many things that had gone on between us, a majority of those I never wanted to remember, let alone say out loud. The arguments we’ve had, the threats, the nightly brawls, the anger and the hostility were things I felt I could say. I didn’t have any shame about that. But there were tender moments too that I couldn’t ignore and wouldn’t live without; the way he would run his fingers through my hair when I couldn’t sleep, the way he would hold me when my grief overwhelmed me, the gifts he brought me on my whims, his sweet kisses, the sex...

“You’re asking too much of me.”

I actually heard his body stiffen. Then, in a very flat voice he said, “What?”

“No.” I sat up straighter in my seat. “Those things you do not need to know. Besides, they’re uneventful anyhow.”

“Yet you don’t want to tell me how ‘uneventful’ they are.”

“That’s right.”

“So all of us, including Relena and Dorothy, nearly got ourselves killed for YOU,” he growled. “But you want to call that uneventful.”

“No Odin! That’s not what I meant!”

“Then what DID you mean?”

I didn’t say anything. I just sat there staring at him while he stared at me. Then suddenly he stood up. That’s when I noticed he was in his Preventers uniform. “I need to get back.” His eyes flicked down to me. “I don’t want to talk to you right now, but understand this discussion isn’t over.” He then silently stormed out. I sat there in surprise for a while before shaking my head to clear it. Finishing my drink, I tossed it in the nearest wastebasket as I left the building, ignoring those turned up noses of the patrons. If they knew I was a Winner they’d probably start a riot.

As I walked back to my car I couldn’t help but turn his words over in my head. That crow was Krahe. He could now be invisible. No, he always could be invisible, he probably just now thought of doing it as a crow. He’s changed into one right in front of me once, so that library incident was completely plausible.

That meant, he killed that boy....

Once I made it to my car, I locked myself in and sat in silence, my arms crossed against my chest, not bothering to roll the windows down or turn the air conditioning on. I allowed all my thoughts about my friends, Trowa and my son to collide with those of Krahe, the crows, and me. At one point I could feel tears run down my face, hot in the steamy car, even though I didn’t think I was crying. Frustrated perhaps.

Without warning the passenger door was jerked open, and the car shifted from the weight as the uninvited occupant sat down. Even though I was very surprised I didn’t show it. Instead I kept my gaze on the steering wheel. There were only so many people bold enough to do that, and unfortunately they were all friends of mine.

“Get out Odin.” My voice was soft. Too tired to really have heat behind my words.

His voice was equally soft. “In a minute.” He paused. “I’m sorry.”

I turned my head in his direction but didn’t look at him. “For what?”

“For taking my frustration out on you. It’s not your fault he’s done what he’s done to us and to you. I know that if it was up to you, none of this would have happened.”

“Nobody would wish for this Odin.”

“I know.” He shifted in the seat. “Duo’s changed because of this. He says he feels a slight pull sometimes, but he can’t tell what he’s being pulled to, just that it’s there. I can only imagine what you feel.” I didn’t say anything, so he continued. “You were wrong. I’m not asking too much of you by demanding you to tell us what happened between you and him. But I was wrong by demanding it now. It’s obvious to me you’re not ready to tell us.” He opened the door, but paused before stepping out. “May I make a request?”

This time I looked at him, but his back was to me. “What is it?”

He turned his head slightly, where I could only see his left eye. “I want to be the first you tell it to. I know you’d want to tell Trowa, but if you won’t say it to me, how can you tell him face to face?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“I know you will.” He stood. “Take care,” he said as he closed my car door.

“You too,” I said to an empty seat, and continued to sit in my hot car, willing an answer to appear before me. After the sweat began to sting my eyes, I turned the car on and immediately stomped on the gas to go home. I caught sight of my eyes in the rear view mirror, and saw that the rims of my eyelids were stained pink, and that my eyes were filled with sorrow.

Because of me, that boy was killed...

I turned onto the street, nearly flooring the gas to make it home to Trowa. I needed the comfort.

For the umpteenth time in my life, I hated myself.

(the end)