Notes – Done for pw_contest, under the prompt "Start". Set post-AJ, soon after Klavier breaks up the Gavinners. Contains spoilers for the murderer in Turnabout Serenade.

When Klavier Gavin had announced the disbanding of the Gavinners, most of the world had turned around and said, "What? No way!"

But Apollo hadn't really cared all the much.

He knew Klavier as a prosecutor, the cool and relaxed man wanting to reach the truth from a different angle. He'd briefly experienced Klavier as a rock star. Which sounded odd. The truth of the matter was that Klavier had a split personality, or he said he did anyway. Having talked to him as both a prosecutor and a rock star, Apollo could definitely agree that he seemed very different in each role.

The rock star side of that spectrum was a perfectionist who was quick to anger. Between the two of them Apollo definitely preferred the prosecutor, and since that was the side of the man he had to work with on a regular basis this preference was fine by him. He was more than happy to let the whole issue of the Gavinners breaking up slide over without affecting him too much.

…Right up until he saw the crowd of people outside of the Wright & Co. Talent Agency.

Turning to Trucy, he said, "What do they all want? They can't be here to listen to Mr. Wright's piano playing."

Them being there to make him stop playing the piano wasn't too much of a stretch of imagination though.

Turning from the TV, Trucy said cheerfully, "Don't you keep up, Polly? They want to talk to you about the Gavinners break-up."

"Why would I know anything about that?" Apollo asked, bemused.

"Because you work with him," she said, "There's stuff on the TV about how he might have broke them up because of something to do with law. Some of the shows are even saying you talked him into it."

"But that makes no sense," he sighed, "Isn't anyone going to just look at the obvious answer that they can't carry on without one of their main members?"

The arrest of Daryan Crescend had been all over the news not long ago, after all.

"If it was because of the murder then he would have broken the band up soon after that," she pointed out.

Looking hard at her, Apollo said, "Please don't tell me you believe I'm behind this."

"Of course not, it's just funny to see you annoyed about it," she said, grinning.

"Well, I'm not going to hang around here and be interviewed by the press upon a subject I know nothing about," Apollo replied, failing to hide his irritation, "If they want the truth they should investigate the source. Or else I'll do it for them…"

Against his better judgment he pushed his way out of the building, muttering various remarks of 'no comment' when reporters tried to shove a microphone into his face. Attempting to keep all dignity, and probably not doing well in that regard, he mounted his bicycle and rode away from the group, making his way to the prosecution office that he knew Klavier worked from.

He hated to admit it, but being a defense attorney meant that you got good at sneaking into places under false presumptions. And telling the lady at the desk that he was here to speak to Klavier in regards to a case definitely got him into the office faster than he would have done otherwise.

The said problem prosecutor spun around in his chair as Apollo approached, smiling at him in a way that suggested he knew exactly what this was about and was using it as a source of mild entertainment. He and Trucy were quite similar in that regard.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Herr Forehead?" he asked.

Apollo told himself he wasn't going to be fazed by this and folded his arms.

"Don't pretend you have no idea what's going on, I can see you've got a TV in here," Apollo said, motioning to one of the large plasma screens hanging from the ceiling.

"Ja, there has been a lot of talk about the break-up," Klavier agreed casually, "There have been many tearful calls to the office."

"There have been many calls to my office too, and I'm not even part of your band," Apollo shot. Feeling that he could get away with pretending the talent agency was his office for the sake of this.

Klavier nodded, replying, "I am most sorry that they have attacked you so suddenly. But this is how the media works, in a few days it will be all forgotten."

"A few days isn't that bad," Apollo quietly answered, wondering what exactly he hoped to achieve by coming here. Had he expected Klavier to make a public announcement saying that Apollo had nothing to do with it so they should leave him alone? The whole visit seemed rather pointless when he put it in that perspective.

For a moment, he hated himself to think that perhaps he had come here because he was just as curious as everyone else.

"Can I ask you something?" he said, feeling that he might as well get it over with while he was here.

"Of course, anything queries you have I will try to shine light on, Herr Forehead," Klavier replied, moving his hand in a way that made those rings of his catch the light. At least he was right about the shining part.

Taking a breath, wondering why this made him feel as nervous as it did, Apollo asked, "Why did you break up the Gavinners?"

For a moment that calculated smile was gone. Klavier looked at Apollo closely, wondering exactly how much he should tell him about the subject.

After this pause he settled on, "You're a man of logic, you should have worked out the obvious answer. It is very hard to carry on without Herr Crescend's skills, and replacing him would not feel right."

"There's got to be more to it then that," Apollo prompted. He wanted there to be more to it than that.

Nodding, Klavier said, "…I wanted a new start."

"A new start?"

Apollo's brow furrowed. Some people were just made to deal with fame, and Klavier gave the impression of being that sort of man. Other celebrities went mad from being in the spotlight all the time, but he truly enjoyed it.

"At this point it is for the best," Klavier confirmed, and then he added, "You have to understand that a lot of things have changed for me recently, mein bruder and best friend are gone, but that is not all."

"There's something else beside that?" Apollo inquired.

Klavier looked up at Apollo, knowing that for all this man was good at his job, when it came to dealing with people he was actually far from the best. Yes, Apollo, there is something else, but you're not ready to deal with that just yet, he mused.

To the other, he said, "My two lives have always been equal before. I was passionate about the law and I was passionate about music. Nothing will change that. But since you came along suddenly being a prosecutor provides me with a lot more competition - it has sparked a fire within. The prosecutor side of me wants to push the boundaries of finding the truth even more, and I want to give that side of me a chance to grow."

That was a lot more honesty than Apollo had been expecting. It didn't feel like the usual way Klavier had of talking – masking his statements behind charm, this felt like the raw truth.

After struggling to take it all in, he said, "But doesn't that mean you're giving up on the other half of yourself?"

"I don't doubt my rock star persona will rear his head again," Klavier said, returning back to his usual smile, "Fame does not disappear overnight. But perhaps toning down on my more hot-headed side would be a good thing, ja?"

"I definitely prefer you in court," Apollo heard himself say.

He wasn't to know that was the main reason behind the decision.

"You shall be seeing a lot more of me there then," Klavier assured, "And I look forward to it."

Nodding, Apollo murmured, "Well, I better let you get on now…"

"Don't be a stranger," Klavier told him.

"Yes. Well. If business heads that way I will come back here again," muttered Apollo, awkwardly.

"And Herr Forehead?"

"Yes?"

"About what I told you, can you keep it between us?"

"Of course," Apollo promised, feeling as if he could face down many demanding reporters to keep a promise with a colleague.

A fresh start…

Walking out of the office, Apollo realized how the past year had affected more than just his life in a major way. Drawing up a blank slate made a lot of sense. He thought it could work well for them both. He would face Klavier in court and accept him as a new man.

Because that was what work-colleagues-bordering-on-friend did, right?