Hmm...Well, ff.net's been kinda funky with me the past couple of days, I'm not sure if it was with you guys or not, but I couldn't get onto my account or anything, I guess they were updating. But I would've posted this next chapter sooner if I were able to get into my account! Maybe this is also why I only got -two- reviews...*sniffle* lol, just kidding around.

YAAY! My coolest reviewer-person ever Shella! I thought someone was missing when I posted the second chapter! You're wonderful-ness reviews always make my day. But yes, Heero's little *ahem* move certainly raises a lot of questions and fun stuff for me to play with. *evil grin* I'm going to be wickedly evil in this story, it started out with Duo going to be the main attraction (like he still isn't...*drool*), but as I write, I seem to be getting more involved with Wufei in this one. I dunno, foreshadowing on things to come maybe? *hint hint on the plot twists* But yesh, Duo is a sweetheart, just wait until you read what I have in store in this chapter. Lots of action, I got so into writing the fight scene I ran out of room to put in the evil cliffhanger/plot twist that I was going to use. But that's all right, there's always the next chapter. ^^

And yes, I think I'm just going to stick with Relena the Thing...or the It Creature from the Pink Dildo Lagoon, who knows?

*Ahem* Now for all the technical stuff *groan* before we begin the next fun filled chapter...

Disclaimer: I DON'T own Gundam Wing, okay?! *sniffle* I don't think my plan of -ever- owning will succeed, but a rabid fan-girl can dream big, can't she? *sniffle*

Warning: Same as the last few, except with only -mild- Relena bashing and Heero isn't as much of an asshole. And there is much fun action at the end. A few gratuitous sexual innuendoes hidden too, if you're as hentai as me, you should have no problems finding them. ^^ Let see what else...Ah yes, some Quatre and Duo abuse, but of the good sort! Trowa gets to be all lovey-dovey with the Q-man and pokes fun at our fave braided bishie. ^^ Nothing too serious.

Now that the technical stuff is out of the way...On with the show!! Yaay!

***

Quatre and Trowa met up with Duo outside their apartment complex at sunrise. Quatre kept a close eye on Duo as they headed inside and got onto the elevator, he was picking up on a whole mess of feelings from the braided boy, even though on the outside he was his usual buoyant self. There was nervousness, doubt, exhilaration, sympathy, and desire all blending into his aura and Quatre could tell Duo was itching to spill everything to them, but his anxiety was partially restraining him from asking the questions burning in his brain.

Duo knew all this; he didn't have to see the empath's penetrating aquamarine gaze watching him to know, though he wasn't necessarily trying to hide it either. He was slowly screwing up the courage to bring up the predicament with Wufei, but he wasn't sure how the two would take it.

Upon entering their apartment, Duo took a deep breath and threw all caution into the wind.

"Hey Q-man, you wouldn't happen to know if there was a way a vampire could be turned back into a human, would you?" he inquired casually.

Quatre's arm hung in midair as he paused in the processing of putting his jacket in the closet; whatever he had been expecting, it hadn't been that. "I'm not sure Duo. If the vampire was pure blooded, then definitely no, but if it's someone who had been turned, then perhaps there might be a way. I don't really know, I would have to look it up. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering...and- er- well..." Duo cleared his throat uneasily and reluctantly told him and Trowa about Wufei and what had gone on at the bar.

"And you believed him? Just like that?" said Trowa skeptically.

"Man, you should've seen the expression on his face!" he exclaimed defensively. "I wouldn't've brought Quatre within like twenty feet of the guy or he would've gone ballistic! He was in so much pain Trowa..."

"Vampires are good actors, you know that."

"But he was sincere," Duo argued.

"He's telling the truth Trowa," Quatre cut in quietly. He had been silent during Duo's story and their disagreement, reading into the braided boy's mind as he spoke. He had seen Wufei's face the way Duo had, flashes of memory as he recounted their talk, and would readily admit, from what he had perceived, that he was entirely correct in saying that he wouldn't want to go within twenty feet of the vampire. Just the fresh memory itself was enough to cause pangs of what Duo and Wufei felt during their discussion.

"As far as I can tell, there was no influence from the vampire at all on Duo's decision or on the conversation in the whole," Quatre continued now that he had their attention. "I see no problems in trying to help a person in need."

"Thanks Q-man," Duo said gratefully.

Trowa only shrugged apologetically; there was no arguing with the blonde's point of view.

"Well, now that that's out of the way...I'm going to bed," Duo yawned, getting up from his armchair and plodding off to his room.

***

It took a while for the initial shock to wear off. Wufei couldn't quite figure how long it had been since Heero had retreated to his room, but he was fairly sure that it had been a good couple of hours by the feeling of the sun outside of the building. What could have possibly driven Heero to -kiss- him, of all things, he didn't even want to begin to understand, Wufei thought he was going to hit him at least, not hit -on- him. Though it had certainly got him to be quiet, that was for sure.

Now that he wasn't so utterly thunderstruck, Wufei was restless. Usually by this time of the day he was asleep, he didn't have to put up with knowing that the sun was up and he couldn't go out into it without the consequence of turning to dust. But he was awake, and knew the sun was out and that he was stuck in the stupid windowless basement apartment with Heero, who was the absolute -last- person he wanted to be confined in a closed space with. Especially for the amount of time they had to wait on for it to be night once more. At least Heero was asleep, and Wufei could occupy himself with constructing a plan of escape so he wouldn't go insane. He couldn't always count on Relena hounding their every waking moments for 'her Heero' and use her to slip away and meet up with Duo again.

***

Dusk was drawing near as the three slayers readied themselves for another night of work.

Duo, along with some assistance and references from Quatre, had spent the last few hours reading through books for anything that might tell him ways of turning a vampire normal. So far there had been all sorts of interesting cases of crossbreeds, betrayal, failure, lewdness, and massacre, but nothing close to the information he was searching for. Duo wasn't going to confess they were far more entertaining than he had originally expected them to be, though Trowa -did- have to practically drag him from his bedroom to get him out the door.

"Come on Duo, just because we agreed to help doesn't mean you get to skip off your duties as a slayer," Quatre reprimanded as he came out of the apartment with Trowa following close behind.

"I wasn't trying to," Duo said, pretending to look hurt.

"Sure you weren't."

"You know, sometimes I really don't like that empath thing you do," he grumbled irritably.

"You don't like it because he won't let you get away with anything," Trowa smirked.

"Well- that too- but- hey! This isn't 'Pick On Duo' night!"

"You're right, it's time to work. Not pout."

Duo sulked the rest of the elevator ride down, but once out in the night air, he was instantly wired and ready to go.

***

When Heero emerged from his room to commence with his nocturnal routine, he found Wufei still out on the couch where he had left him earlier, much to his amusement.

"Are you going out for a 'walk' again tonight?"

Silence.

"No answer? Or are you afraid I might make a repeat of last night?" Heero prodded tauntingly.

"No I'm not, and I'd rather not repeat last night if you don't mind," Wufei quipped just as sarcastically, not even looking over at him.

"I see you don't appreciate my sense of humor."

"If that was your idea of a sense of humor, I'm afraid to know what you do for serious comic relief," he replied flatly.

Heero snorted. "Think what you will, but I'm out of here." He grabbed his leather jacket from the coat rack near the front door and left Wufei to be by himself.

'Good, I don't have to worry about him getting in the way tonight,' he added in thought as he decided to go slayer hunting.

***

'Great...This is -really- great...NOT.'

Taking the 'scenic' route through the park, Duo, Quatre, and Trowa had the luck of running into reasonably sized gang of vampires and were currently engaged in trying to not get themselves killed, let alone killing the enemy. There had to have been at least fifteen of the fanged bloodsuckers, and with only the three of them, it wasn't a very easy feat in spite of their experience and training.

So far they had managed to eliminate four. Eleven to go.

As he was thrown like a rag doll into an unpleasantly hard tree trunk, Duo was feeling pretty sympathetic for poor Quatre at the moment. Not only did the empath have to deal with fighting, but he also had to put up with all the injuries they get and the tremendous pain the vampires went through just as they were reduced to dust. That and the gorgeous bruise he was going to have on his back afterwards from his gun holster clipped to the back of his black pants. Being surrounded by four vampires kind of hindered Duo's attempts at going over and aiding Trowa as he tried to fight and protect his beau, who was seeming liable to pass out from emotion overload any second, at the same time. Of course, he -still- had to keep a confident façade on his face too, couldn't let the enemy see signs of weakness. Put it all together and you have one braided slayer in one REALLY sucky ass situation.

"C'mon! Is that all you got? You didn't even break any bones!" Duo grinned amiably, forcing himself to stand steady as he struggled up. He tightened his grip on his gun behind him as a female to his left lunged at him and got shot right through the chest. 'Sorry Q-man,' Duo thought apologetically, watching her disintegrate at the same time as Trowa knocked out three more.

Add four to the hit list. Seven to go.

Now would be Duo's cue to go Shinigami and just shoot wildly into the enclosing remainder to get this madness over with. Charging straight into the group and taking them by surprise, he did just that, taking an additional two down with him. Unfortunately, a duck and a well-placed punch by the football player-sized third vampire ended the second of glory, sending Duo crashing into some nearby rose bushes. Extremely -thorny- rose bushes. It didn't damper his spirits though, once he was able to get his breath back.

"Oooww...DAMN IT! I tried playing nice, and see the thanks I get?! That's it! You've royally pissed me off!" Slamming a fresh cartridge into his gun, Duo came barreling out from the destroyed bushes and looked dangerously homicidal, especially with all the lovely bleeding cuts. First the football player went, then he helped relieve Quatre and Trowa of their last persistent few.

The expression of macabre satisfaction was quickly replaced by concern though as Duo rushed forward and he and Trowa caught Quatre by an arm before he collapsed.

"Go on ahead and take him home, I'll finish off our shift tonight," Duo offered grimly, climbing tentatively to his feet as the tall boy easily lifted the unconscious empath from the grass.

"Are you sure? You're not looking too well yourself," Trowa pointed out apprehensively.

"Nah...I've been worse, it's all right really- it just seems bad because of the blood," he dismissed lightly. "I'll get cleaned up and be good as new, I swear."

"Are you positively-"

"Yes! Now go! Go home! I'll be -fine-, jeez...Don't make me sound like a broken record, just -go-, I can take care of everything," Duo assured resolutely. "Besides I'm too wound up from our little soirée with our fanged buddies."

"Okay, I believing you...but if you don't come back, I'm not going to search for you, or if you return with some new 'project' like last night, I'll disown you," Trowa smirked.

"I'm glad I'm so loved."

"You're welcome."

Duo puffed his cheeks and glared at Trowa indignantly as he walked off chuckling. "Bastard."

He really didn't mean what he said, he knew he was only playing around, because if he actually -didn't- come home, Quatre would beat Trowa with a stick. They cared for each other though, underneath all the sarcasm and jokes, they were too much like a weird family with all they had been though together not to.

Once the two were out of sight, Duo winced as he went to the nearest bathroom to wash himself off and get the broken thorns and twigs from his long plait, muttering about being an awful sucker for getting himself stuck with the dirty work. The damage actually wasn't as bad as it appeared, like he had said, the cuts from the rose bushes weren't all that serious, but he was -definitely- not going to be very happy when he hauled his sorry ass in bed later. A huge knot had begun to form on the small of his back from being chucked into the tree and the ache in his diaphragm from the blow felt like a million pins pricking all through his chest if he breathed too deeply.

Those minor details aside, he was just -peachy-. Other than looking like he had been attacked by Edward Scissorhands that is. But Duo had made a promise, and he never went back on his word, so he didn't complain as he hit the street a few minutes later to wear off the adrenaline from the fight in the park.

***