Chapter Three

Don't Stand So Close To Me

(Duo's POV)


"Quatre, don't you have any work to do?" I asked, coming up to the front desk where my receptionist, Quatre Winner, lounged back in his executive leather chair. He looked up from the book he was reading and grinned at me,

"I finished pulling files for tomorrow and I've already finished the med and food orders."

I plunked myself down in my favorite spinny chair and looked over the appointment book. "So, I pay you to do nothing?"

He just chuckled and flipped the page, "I'm never doing nothing." Solo says that Quat looks like an older, male version of Shirley Temple-with his blonde hair and large light blue eyes- but he certainly is no dimple-faced sweetheart. I've watched him wrestle an uncooperative Pit-Bull to the floor and hold him there to get his shots.

Quatre had started to work for me three years ago when he was fresh out of college. He was a kid from a big family completely isolated from the rest of the world and was in the process of 'seeking a new life'. I hadn't known he was filthy rich until a year after he started when he bought me a Rolex for my birthday and a new X-Ray machine for Christmas.

Trowa came up behind me and leaned over my shoulder. "It looks pretty quiet for a while." He stated, smirking when I jumped. The guy moves quieter than any cat I've ever met and even though he's been working for me for two years he still gets a kick out of surprising me.

They'd grown very close to my sister and me and since neither of them had any family in the area they almost considered us as their family. That closeness of ours makes them feel entitled to know everything that's going on in my life. That's also why, the second I came to work last Monday they cornered me and forced me to tell them why I was late coming back from Vegas.

I'd told them I'd overslept and had had my phone stolen but those excuses didn't work. Quatre's has this strange tendency to be overly sensitive and that makes it close to impossible to lie to him. Finally, after they had me cornered for a few minutes I broke down and told them. Both were sympathetic but jokes started flying around between those two and Solo about my new marital status, I chose to ignore them.

Things after that had been pretty simple, they made jokes and I worked on forgetting I was married to a stranger. It was a nice system, until some idiot had to throw a monkey wrench into the cogs.

I was happily ensconced in a conversation with Quatre about Halloween and our regular movie bash when Trowa suddenly turned pale white and stared at Quatre like he was the Ghost of Christmas Future.

"What?" Quatre asked, very concerned.

"Why do I see Kona Murphy's name on this appointment book?" His voice is usually very steady and calming but then he just sounded beyond freaked out and I didn't blame him. I looked at the appointment book and scheduled for an hour later was, sure enough, Kona's name, scrawled in light, very tiny handwriting. Almost giving the appearance that Quatre was trying to hide it.

"K-Kona?" I stammered when I was able to breathe again.

Quarter nodded slowly, looking very Bambi-in-the-headlights as he said, "No one else will take him and Bev is freaking out. He has an infected leg and he might need stitches and she needs to go on a business trip and can't board him anywhere else and… he needs a bath." I heard a choking noise coming from Trowa but I was still working on finding my voice when Quatre rushed on, "I tried to resist but she said she would actually pay double for the two weeks and triple for the bath." He gave me his patented 'Bambi eyes' and I just nodded and walked away.

I had an hour to secure myself against Kona "Cujo" Murphy and I knew we'd need help so I called in Solo. She actually owns a very cute store downtown where she sells books and coffee. The ironic part is that she hates coffee but she likes the smell. As soon as she heard me begging over the phone she put Misty in charge and ran right over. I love my sister. When Quatre saw her he almost kissed her and cried, "Bless you!"

I never thought that such a small girl could look so tough wearing a skirt from the 70's and a top with the grumpy carebear on it, but she somehow managed. "Okay, start the countdown." She said and started to set up the back surgery table.

About 5 minutes before Kona's appointment the door opened and Solo, Trowa, and I all tensed and I swear I saw Trowa twitch towards the back door to the kennels and onto freedom but was stopped as Quatre called "False alarm, but suit up all the same. Hello sir, how may I help you?" I didn't listen to the rest of the conversation as Solo helped me pull my long hair up under my ratty old, black cap and put on the heavy gloves I use for birds of prey and the cover to protect against the X-ray machine.

"Hey Duo?" Quatre came up behind me, looking very worried. "There's a guy here who swears he's not a solicitor and he doesn't need help with his pet. He just wants to see you." I knew Quatre's freaky empathic senses were at work but I didn't want to dwell on why, I was still concentrating on my impending doom.

I just shrugged at the others and moved to the front desk but stopped before I got into the reception area. The blue-eyed God who'd been driving me nuts for weeks was leaning over my counter and staring at me with those crazy eyes of his. And here I was standing in camouflage pants and looking like I was ready to do battle with the Huns. Then he smiled a slow, sexy smile and said, "You're a very hard man to track down, Doctor Maxwell."

Solo popped up behind me, seeing me standing stock still in the doorway then her eyes slide to him and then to me and then to him and then behind him. Before she could say anything (thankfully) a car drove up and she cried. "Incoming!" Quatre darted forward to take his seat at the front and I said to him as Solo ran back quickly,

"I advise you move out of the way." My voice was more than shaky from seeing him and recognizing Bev's car.

"What?" He looked stunned, almost like no one had ever told him to move in his life.

"For the love of God, if you don't want to die today move out of the way!" I replied and Quatre waved him around the counter.

"Take shelter here, I advise you duck down. You never know what he's got up his furry sleeve." Quatre supplied. Hejust stared at Quatre who finally got irritated and clapped his hands together. "Move it! Move it! Move it! Everyone! To your battle stations!" And he moved it, ducking around the corner and into a chair just as Bev came in.

Everything exploded into a frenzy of sound as Bev Murphy practically threw the cat carrier on the counter and called over Kona's bloody screams, "Thanks so much Doctor Maxwell. I'll be back the Monday after next! Stay safe!" That woman has a sick sense of humor. I just gave her a wan smile as she bolted back out of the clinic and into the sanctuary of her car.

The second Quatre picked up the carrier and headed to the back, all thoughts of my visitor left my mind and I went back to the open surgery table start. Over Kona's screeches and growls I commanded Quatre to tilt the carrier up until the cat tumbled out into my arms. Immediately he sunk his teeth as far as he could into the thick leather gloves and his back claws attached to my skin, just above where the gloves ended so he was practically clinging to my arm while trying to scratch me with his front claws. The funny thing is, he's supposed to be declawed.

As I shouted orders through my clenched teeth everyone worked in perfect order to get the spawn of Satan off my arm and anesthetized. One of the many problems with Kona is that he's one of those cats that don't go under anesthesia easily and while asleep there's a very real chance of him waking up at any moment and start attacking again.

We worked quickly with only one real close brush with him waking up. After 30 minutes I had stitched up some pretty bad gouges on his body and forced medicine to help with his leg. I was so afraid to actually know what he'd been fighting and Trowa came up with the possibility of a mountain lion-don't laugh, it's a very feasible possibility with this cat.

Solo took over the charge of stuffing the ferocious feline back into his carrier and gingerly taking him to the farthest corner cat cage in the back so he didn't scare the others or any of the smaller dogs in the runs. So, finally, we returned back to our posts. Quatre, covered in fur, went to the desk; Trowa, to the bathroom to take care of one pretty nasty scar on his arm; and me, blood seeping through my shirt where Kona took away some skin, went back to my office. I'd hoped for some quiet time until Trowa was done with the bathroom but apparently I wasn't going to have it.

I slumped over in my chair, my head hitting my desk. I couldn't believe it. This had turned into one of the- "That was quite the show." Wait? What?

I turned around so fast I almost got whiplash, and just stared. My jaw dropped to the ground and I think I lost all the color in my face. He stood there, holding a book on equine rearing, and looking completely at ease. Blue eyes turned on me and a smirk crossed his lips lazily. "Do you usually get clients like that?" Heero asked conversationally, snapping the book shut and replacing it.

"Not usually, it's Quat's fault that I had to work on it-" I spluttered, feeling very trapped as he advanced my way, "Why are you here?" I demanded, scooting my chair back.

Heero turned around and leaned against the edge of the desk to face me, pulling my arm into his hands. They were warm against my exposed skin and the way he touched me made me shiver. "I came to see you." He started simply and I suddenly felt relieved.

"To figure out divorce arrangements, of course. You could have just calle-" I stopped when he gave me a very confused look, his fingers weaving through mine.

"What gave you that idea?" My jaw hit the floor once more.

"What?" I screeched, wrenching my arm from his grasp.

Heero stood as I leapt from my chair, "I don't want a divorce." Was this guy nuts? He had to be. I opened my mouth a few times but each time no sound came out, I probably looked ridiculous-like a fish out of water. "I want to get to know you. There obviously was a connection between us that night in Vegas-"

"We were drunk!" I hollered.

Heero sent me a death glared that effectively shut me up. He took me by the shoulders and pushed me back into the chair, "But there had to have been something to set that off. I just think it would be better for us if we got to get to know each other first before we did anything rash."

"Rasher that getting married on a wild night in Vegas?" I quipped, crossing my arms over my chest. "Why won't you let me divorce you?"

"I told you, I want-"

I rolled my eyes and fixed him with my own irritated stare, "to get to know me. Bullshit. I can already tell just by looking at you we're so different it wouldn't work." For emphasis I looked him up and down. "Nice jacket, sexy and styled haircut-most likely professional, power stance. You most likely have crap loads of money-how else could you have bought that ring? I'm sure that even though that's a rental car out there it's more expensive than my house. You're big business and I'm a small town hick working hard to keep my home. No matter what, any attempt at a relationship with me will fail so I advise you just go back to where ever you flew in from. Send me the paperwork and I'll sign it right away."

I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms, staring at the screen. He grasped the top of my seat and turned me around again to face him, his expression now livid. "What does money or location have to do with anything? Are you afraid of commitment? Afraid to have anyone close to you? What is it?"

I jumped to my feet and pushed him back, "I don't want a relationship. I'm happy with my life and having anyone liking me is going to screw up the pattern I've set up here. People are barely beginning to accept that I'm gay; I don't need anyone coming in and ruining that for me. So get out!" I pointed to the door and he stood his place. I kept praying that he would actually leave because I was beginning to run out of ammo and was on the verge of crying.

"Fine." It took me a second to realize that he'd spoken. "I'll go but I'm not giving up so easily." He took my hand, gave it a business-like squeeze and turned to go out the door.

I fell back into my chair and watched through my window as he moved to the shiny vehicle parked out front and leaned on the hood of it to pull out his cell phone and dial a number. Solo walked past my door and knocked to get my attention. "I'm going to go, okay honey?" I nodded.

"Thanks for your help today." She grinned and winked at me.

"What are sisters for?" Solo flashed a quick piece sign my way and headed outside.

I stared thorough the window as Solo moved stand in front of Heero. When he didn't acknowledge her presence she took his phone, spoke into it, waited for a response and hung up. She spoke to Heero for a moment and nodded for him to follow him to her truck. He hesitated and then moved into her old clunker as she started it up and drove down Uinta dr.

I pulled my legs up to my chest and turned toward the computer screen. I couldn't let him close, I couldn't let anyone close to my heart except the ones who I was sure I could trust. He may have been my soul mate (which was very unlikely) but I just couldn't afford to let myself like him, no matter what.

If I actually let Heero close and found myself in love with him I couldn't do anything about it. The only reason I wasn't being ostracized by the people of the church and the town was because I grew up there and most knew me as their sweet little Duo… who just happened to have one huge flaw. If I was going to be able to keep my clinic and my home I was just going to have to give the appearance of a monk.

Qutare came into the office and found me pouting and came to put his arm around my shoulders. "I know you're trying to protect your image and by acting like a cold, unattached bastard… but what if Heero is a really nice guy? What if he really is trying to get to know you because he liked you?"

"He liked my body Quat." I hissed. "All that stuff about a connection was just bullshit. I can't see anybody who drives a rented Mazerati and wears Italian sports jackets coming after a guy like me if there wasn't something in it for him."

Suddenly Quat's hand whipped out and stuck the back of my head. "Stop playing the angsty 'Harry Potter' route. There is nothing wrong with you; you're gorgeous and smart. Leave it at that and stop saying 'poor, poor pitiful me'. Now buck up old paint, you have a patient in one."

I just stared after Quatre in amazement as he patted the top of my head and meandered away. He was right but I just wasn't about to let myself admit it. I couldn't let him in; there was no way in hell that was going to happen. I just kept wishing he wouldn't try to stand so damn close to me.

Finally I got up and moved to the door, finding a business card resting on one of my file folders. It was a very official looking one, much nicer than my own. On it was a picture of Heero looking amazing in a business suit and tie and scowling at the camera. It read: 'Heero Yuy, Top Executive of Lowe International Technology. New York, New York.' It gave his address, work number, and cell number. Against my better judgment I put it in my scrub pocket and went to exam room number one with my happy mask on.

In the back of my mind though I couldn't help but think about what the Hell Solo was doing with Heero. I tried not to worry about it as the day wrapped up but it was hard because she wasn't responding to any of the messages I send her.

By the end of the day, somewhere in between all my appointments Heero's car disappeared. That alleviated some of my worries but not all. I sort of felt like I was in the middle of a ping pong game, going back and forth between being worried about him being gone and being elated at the possibility of him being gone. I seriously hate vicious cycles.

Just as I was getting into my car Solo finally called me? "Where did you go?" I demanded without preamble.

She sighed and I couldn't almost hear her roll her eyes. "Back to my store. Listen I'll tell you everything in a bit, just hurry your cute little butt on home. I'm starving and I'm in the process of making angel hair pasta."

I hung up and started my car. She sounded fine, a little more annoyed than usual. Quickly I sped out of my parking lot and straight home.


Quick ending I know, but I really needed to finish the chapter.

This song title comes from the Sting & the Police. I meant to have this up last Friday but I went to State Drama and had absolutely no time to work on this or do anything other than limp around the CWC campus. I hate being a gimp.. even though my mom and best friend had to sprint to keep up with me when I was going to be late for a friend's monologue.

Anyway, I kept thinking as I wrote this chapter, 'Damn… Duo reminds me of Harry Potter from the later books when he was really getting angsty.' I hate that he's so emo but… I really had no other idea about how to get my point across. I promise I'll make up for it!!!

I love all the reviews I've been getting. They've really made my day!

Please excuse how rough these chapters are. I don't have a beta reader to check over them…

`~`~`~`~`~`So anyway, See ya!`~`~`~`~`~`