1. I stamped 'OOC' on the fic.
2. It is after the series ends, so that's pretty much free reign on their personalities as far as I'm concerned.

If anyone feels compelled to argue, just make sure it's on the weekends. My week is pretty booked.

Another Murder of Crows: Part 7

The hour and forty five minute trip home did not help Heero's temper, or mine for that matter. We didn't say anything to each other for the duration of the drive, but the tension was almost tangible, it was so thick and heavy. Worse yet, he's still here. When we arrived at the house, he insisted on checking out and repairing the car himself, even though Abdul is an expert mechanic. But I just told Abdul not to worry and let him do whatever he wanted. If it keeps him busy, that means he can't argue with me.

Trudging up the stairs, again, I let my mind wander over today's events. That kiss really surprised me. Not him kissing me but me kissing him back. That is so out of character for me, but I've noticed that a lot of things that I've been doing lately have been out of character. I don't know what Relena has going through her mind, but as far as I can tell, we are still on for Saturday. Of course, all personal problems are secondary. The universe comes first.

I entered my room and out of habit, I left the door unlocked. Wufei and Duo weren't home yet, and as far as I could tell they weren't in jail, so soon enough I expect Duo to run through the door with news that really isn't significant, and a battered Wufei to trail slowly behind. I can't help smiling to myself at the image. It's just funny to think back to those times. What I would do to bring them back again.

I flopped bonelessly on my bed, face down, fighting away the images of Duo in the car, with me. I want to ask him when he gets back what that could be about, but at the same time I don't. What if this is some weird, psychotic thing my brain cooked up? I mean, Duo and I have never been intimate, and I've never been attracted to him. Of course, I have admitted how attractive he is. I'd be a liar if I denied it, but still this bothers me. Freud believed that we all have animalistic urges in our subconscious. So, could it be that I do have feelings for Duo, and maybe when that guy kissed me, I wanted it to be Duo? I mean, the kisses are identical. On the other hand, Duo hadn't even crossed my mind, I was too focused on that guy. Or maybe I did try to tell him I felt something for him and he tried to cave my head in on the dashboard? Nah!

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Thank you Allah. I needed the distraction.

"Master Quatre?"

"Come on in Rashid," I yelled into the bed.

The door opened and closed quickly, with heavy footsteps following the b-line to my bed. I rolled to the edge of the bed, but remained laying on my stomach as Rashid sat near the foot. "What happened?" was the first thing he said. His voice wasn't angry, but it held a tiny tinge of worry.

"What do you mean Rashid? What is it?"

"Quatre, please, don't toy with me. You're twisting your ring and you're biting you lip." I chanced a look down at my hands and sure enough, it looked as though I was trying to unscrew my finger. "Heero seems a little bit quieter than usual. He won't even grunt a response. Something must have happened while you two were at the mall. What was it?"

I can never fool him, no matter what. I don't even know why I try. "While we were there, at the arcade more specifically, a boy...er...man was there and Heero caught us kissing." Rashid raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "I didn't know the guy, he--he just appeared out of nowhere and gave me a credit to put in the game and the next thing I knew we were playing tonsil hockey." I chuckled a little bit at using one of Duo's many euphemisms. A small smile splayed across Rashid's face as well. "But Heero lashed out and hurt the guy, but the guy just laughed it off. We started to argue about it in the food court then Relena showed up, and she decided against spending time with us. I find that hard to believe. She found him where ever he was, and it could've killed her, but at the sight of me yelling at him, she left us both alone." Confusion hung on my last sentence.

"What happened in the car?"

Okay, now this is going to get weird. "Well, do you know anything about Frankfurt?"

"Yes," he answered solemnly, "Duo told me while you were in the hospital. I would've burned the house down, except he beat me to it." He smiled faintly.

"Did Duo and I ever, um, get involved kind of?"

His eyes held nothing but kindness and sympathy. "Quatre, he didn't leave out any details, if that's what you're asking. And as for that question, I think you should talk to him about it. What brought that out?"

"Well, it's kind of the reason why I almost wrecked the car," I said in a small voice.

"Oh," he chuckled slightly. "I can't blame you then."

"But that's not all. You see, the guy's kiss felt a lot like Duo's. Exact just about."

The smile died instantly, leaving a deep frown in its wake. "Now that you have to explain to the others. I urge you to. That could mean something."

I nodded my head in understanding. If Rashid thought I should do it, then I should. "Sure thing then."

He started to pat me on the head, like he always use to do when I was younger. "Now, Heero told me about you leaving for the Sanc Kingdom, so I will have the hole fixed then. The mirror will have to wait until next week. The man I usually use is sick right now. Is that suitable?"

"Of course. How am I going to ask you to deal with this and then complain? I shouldn't have broken it in the first place."

He leaned forward and kissed me on my forehead. "Quatre, you are too hard on yourself. It is repairable, so do not worry. Besides, Duo and Heero have broken enough in this house that the total cost would be enough to buy a new estate!"

I rolled onto my back laughing. Of course, both of us knew that was an understatement. Trust me. "I guess you're right. Thank you for listening, Rashid."

He got up from the bed and walked to the door before turning back to me. "Anything to be of service, Master Quatre. Now get some rest." And just like that, he was gone.

Rest. Another good idea. Too bad I didn't think of it. Swinging my legs around the edge of the bed, I kicked off my boots using my feet, and pulled off my sweater, which joined my shoes on the floor. Unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans for some breathing room, I got under the covers and curled myself into a little ball. I didn't realize how tired I actually was.

***

I took a short nap, I guess maybe for an hour or two. It was dark when I looked outside, and glancing over to my clock confirmed it. It's 9:02 p.m. Ugh.

There was a slight pressure in my lower abdomen that increased when I sat up. I don't feel like going but oh well. I stood up and stretched before I made my way to the bathroom, seeing my shattered mirror looking worse for wear. A smaller chunk fell off the wall and into the sink, which I decided to leave for the time being. Throwing it in the trash would only risk cutting someone, and add more problems to my already problem-full life. I'll personally deal with it later.

Pulling down my pants and underwear, I sat on the toilet and tried to clear my mind. I didn't want to think about today, or yesterday, or even the day before that. I will just think about...panda bears. Yeah, that will work. Panda bears. They're big, black and white, and....that's all I know. Okay, so maybe it wasn't such a good thought after all.

Of course, I was soon saved from thinking by Duo. I heard him barrel through my bedroom door, talking loudly to everyone.

"Hey Q-baby! What's going on? I went to say hi to Heero and he went straight for the 'omae o korosu' jive instead of telling me to shut up first. That's a breach in protocol man, so what did you do?" He came into the bathroom and sat down on the floor against the wall, holding one of those styrofoam plates that you get from restaurants. I shifted on the toilet seat some to lean forward more comfortably towards him.

"It's a long story."

He sat the opened plate down on his lap and pulled out an eggroll, which he was currently wrapping a slice of cheese around. "Well Cat, it's early, and I ain't got a date, so spill it."

Well, here goes everything. "When Odin and I got to the mall, everything was cool, then-"

"Duo! Have you no respect for privacy!" Wufei fumed right outside the bathroom doorway.

"What? Privacy? Who needs privacy?" Duo turned to Wufei, confused, before he regarded me. I shrugged.

"Who needs privacy?" Wufei repeated. "Who needs privacy?! Duo, what is he doing?"

Duo did a once over on me before turning back to Wufei. "He's taking a shit. So what?"

"Ahhh!" Wufei screamed and left the doorway, mumbling something about the injustice of crazy friends. Duo glanced to me, somehow managing to put ketchup on the eggroll without getting it on the rest of his food. "What's his problem?"

I shrugged again. "Beats me."

"Anyway, go on go on. Whatever happened has him pretty pissed." Duo took a huge bite out of the cheese--and--ketchup covered eggroll.

"Okay. We were at the arcade playing when we ran out of credits. He left to go get some out of the car right?" Duo nodded, taking a sip of Dr. Pepper. That's all he drinks besides coffee. "So, while I'm playing I run out, and this guy puts a credit in the machine for me so that I wouldn't lose the game. I tell him that my friend will be here any sec and that I will pay him back, but then he tells me I can pay him back, but not with money."

"So how were you to pay him back?" Wufei's head popped into the bathroom, while the rest of his body remained hidden behind the wall.

"If you would shut up Wu he will get to that part." Duo held a piece of shrimp between his chopsticks that he threw at Wufei. Wufei ducked back behind the wall. "Sorry Cat. Go ahead. I want all the gossip."

"Well, the guy, he--he, he kissed me." For that instant I didn't see Duo any more. Instead, I saw that sly grin as the young man's lips caught my own. "Then Odin showed up and threw him against the wall."

"Damn that boy. It was his mission to get you laid after all!" By now Duo has gotten half of the beef--and--broccoli from his plate on my floor.

"So what did the guy do?" Wufei's head came from around the corner again.

"All he did was say that he didn't know I was taken, then he left. Odin and I then went to the food court and got into it, but I forgot we invited Relena, so she showed up to see us fighting. She decided that she and Dorothy would rather spend the day with themselves."

"Well, ex--CUSE ya'll for having a disagreement without a counsel present," Duo remarked.

"There are other places to deal with situations like that. Disagreements should not be handled publically."

"Thanks for the tip Wu, but you know how Heero is. Kill now, ask questions later--maybe," Duo stated, gesturing wildly. "So what happened with the car? Abdul said the clutch was broken, and the transmission was shot."

I blanched at the mention of the car. I forgot about that.

"Quatre?"

I looked up to see both Duo and Wufei staring at me with worried expressions. "Uh Duo, I need to ask you something. It's about Frankfurt."

Duo raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Wufei sighed loudly and walked over Duo's legs to sit on the shower steps. I thought about my conversation with Rashid earlier, and decided to come straight out with it. One thing that I've learned about Duo is when there is something you want to say to him, say it. Don't beat around the bush.

"Duo, I think I remembered something, and it had to do with me and you in a car, kissing."

Duo laid his food down on the floor, and started massaging both of his temples with one hand. "Yeah. That ghost I told you about, he possessed himself in my body in order to get close to you."

"Huh?" Getting close to me and making out are two VERY different things.

"You knew him by face, so in order to be able to get close enough to touch you, he had to possess himself in someone he knew you trusted," Wufei filled in helpfully.

"And you found us and tried to help me," I stated, pretty sure that I was correct.

"Yes. By then, I knew you and Duo weren't that way with each other, and if you were, you wouldn't be caught like that."

"Why didn't he use....Barton? At least I was attracted to him."

"We don't know," Duo said softly. "He thought you and I were lovers, and figured he could get you in the sack that way. Other than that," Duo didn't finish his sentence, just shrugged his shoulders in response. I am so sick and tired of people assuming that of me and Duo. Especially since it isn't anybody's business anyway.

"Ah well. Let's continue tomorrow. We've read so many books today that I'm seeing in print." Duo stood up loudly and popped the bones in his back.

"What were you looking for Duo?"

He only frowned to himself. "I was curious about something. I'll explain tomorrow, k?"

"K." The times when Duo won't explain something is so rare, it only drives my curiosity through the roof. I'm sorry, I love Duo to death, but if it's not attached to a mission of some sort, the word ‘secret' does not exist in his vocabulary. Whatever it is, it's a sensitive subject and I don't want to upset him. He will tell me in due time. I hope.

Wufei sighed audibly and stood, following Duo out of the bathroom. That's another thing. Duo and I have been best friends since we met. Why would he tell Wufei what's going on and not me? When I looked to Wufei for an answer, or at least a clue, he only shrugged helplessly and diverted his attention from me. I see he's not going to volunteer any information either. Huh.

I finished up and decided to take a shower. I needed to feel something warm against my skin, and nothing will do like a hot shower. I felt like a giraffe though, stretching my neck above the water, trying to keep my hair from getting wet. I already washed it this afternoon, and I didn't want to bother with it now, considering that when I get out I'll probably head straight for the bed. And I forgot to take my ring off before I got in, so even if I did wash my hair, my ring would get tangled in it. I could take it off, but I don't feel like it. I know, the predicament of a trillionaire.

This time when I got out of the shower, I made sure to lay towels on the steps and the floor. I was not up to another adventure like the one I had earlier, since I still didn't figure out what actually happened. I'm sorry, but I'm a former terrorist, gundam pilot, and one of the major leaders of the world. I just don't slip coming out of a shower. It doesn't happen.

When I made it out of my bathroom to my bedroom, I was greeted with the site of Duo talking loudly to someone on the phone, spilling even more food, and Wufei sitting in the papa san, reading. How he can focus while Duo's mouth rattles a mile a minute while inhaling lemon chicken is beyond me.

"No way Hilde! You're crazy. Trunks is WAY sexier than Goku! Especially when his hair is down to his shoulders. Ah, I wouldn't mind getting a taste of him!" I glanced to Wufei who only placed his finger on the part that he was reading, gave me an exasperated look, then went back to reading. Chuckling to myself, I wrapped the towel tighter around my waist and went over to my dresser to find some pajamas. It took me a while before I finally gave up, because I couldn't find a matching pair. So a leopard print pants and a zebra print shirt later, I heard Duo screaming into a dead phone.

"Hello! Hel~lo! Hilde! I can't believe she hung up on me!"

I tried to keep the smirk out of my voice. "She hung up on you?"

"Well what do you expect Duo? You can't insult her and think everything's okay."

"You insulted her?" Those two are identical in every way. If Duo was a girl, he'd be Hilde.

"Well, she asked me a question and I answered it. I'm not going to lie to her!"

I turned to Wufei for answers. Once again he stuck his finger where he was reading. "We saw Hilde at the Chinese restaurant. She was on a date with somebody from payroll. Anyway, she had on this brown leather dress and she asked Duo what he thought. He told her she looked like a shaved wet rat."

"Well she did! I don't like it when she has her hair up. And that dress didn't complement her at all!"

"Duo, you didn't have to say that, and especially in front of her date," Wufei argued thoughtfully. I know my face is blood red from trying not to laugh.

"Well, what was I suppose to do, lie to her?!

"Yes," Wufei answered. "She's a woman."

"I may be many things, but a liar isn't one of them."

"Neither is being tactful."

I lost it at this point. Clutching my stomach, I nearly fell to the floor laughing. "Hilde is so going to kill you," I panted.

He walked to the garbage can and threw away the plate, leaving a trail of fried rice behind him. "Yeah, I know. She's going to have my nuts for this one."

We all laughed then, but the reality of it is that she more than likely will. I love Hilde to death, but she's as vindictive as they come. She can give Dorothy a run for her money any day.

As quickly as it started though, Duo's laughter ended as he stared into my bathroom. His eyes grew wide to consume his face, and he began swearing under his breath.

I nearly ran into Duo to find out what was wrong with him. I tried shaking his shoulders to get a reaction. It didn't work. All he did was point to my bathroom. When I heard Wufei swear behind me, I looked into my bathroom just in time to see the mirror liquify, stretch itself across my wall, and solidify to become whole once again.

(tbc)