AN: Thank you for getting this far. *sob* I worship you now. Seriously.

Disclaimer: You know, don't hide it.

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Edinburgh, Scotland

Walking along the roadside of the many spiraling streets of Scotland, Duo Maxwell hunched himself from the surprisingly biting cold, and treaded on. As the pilot of Death Scythe, and having seen too much bloodshed in his life, he had decided to take a vacation at Earth. He was sick of the colonies; he was, in general, sick of anything and everything having to do with space. There were too many disputes, and he needed a fresh place to think, clear his mind, and settle himself comfortably, distancing himself from the rest of the Gundam Pilots. This was unlike his usual outgoing self, to seclude himself in the middle of nowhere, but he needed it before he went insane. All the sounds of anguished and pained screams rung through his ears, echoing and taunting him in the depths of the night, coming in to his shadowed dreams to lick his conscience.

He had come to Edinburgh, Scotland because of Relena, which he found weird. Not that he didn't dislike the peace thumping socialite, but sometimes they just didn't mix well. Though he did like Relena's futile attempts to get in to Heero's pants, and then Heero's own panicked, and slightly annoyed retorts to hold the woman back. It was too entertaining, almost unbearably so. Relena had suggested he could stay at one of her distant relatives' stone manor in Inverness, causing him to wonder why there was a house owned by her relative, however many distances between them, in Scotland. Also, he had no clue where it was, having never been to the country, but he didn't risk pointing that out, in fear that it would automatically give Relena an opportunity to be some sort of angel and hover over him. He'd rather be wandering around the streets of Scotland rather than ask for help, which he was doing right now.

Scottish people were terrifying. Well, most of the men looked terrifying, but the really horrendous part of it is that they loved to tell stories. He would've enjoyed a good story if he was in the mood, but he wasn't. You ask a Scot one question, and it'll lead you to know they're life story in 25 words or less. It was almost ironic that he was known as bouncy and talkative, but here he was, running out of the place like a bat out of hell as soon as the natives began with, "Weel," in their thick brogue.

Duo shook his head, and scratched his right cheek absentmindedly where a scar was healing, and left behind a scab, pink skin poking at the edges. His violet eyes surveyed the nearly abandoned streets, and sighed when he consulted a large clock tower he noticed. 3:43 AM. Some vacation this was turning out to be, he murmured to himself, mentally cursing as he vowed to ask the next person who walked by, the directions to Inverness, and the manor as well, and if they started talking about inane, completely irrelevant things, he was going to bash them over the head by taking his own boot off, and beating them mercilessly. He was cold, he was hungry, and he was tired.

As a tall, slim figure swathed in a black, leather trench coat started to walk by his way, his mind hesitated. Wow, talk about intimidating, he said to himself, studying the approaching figure warily. Shrugging to himself mentally, he cleared his throat, and held up a hand, as the person grew nearer, almost passing distance to him. "Excuse me, do you know how I could get to Mallory Hall at Inverness? I'm lost," he explained, smiling sheepishly. Although the embarrassed smile came easily, his mind was rapidly thinking to himself. Wasn't as tall as he thought the stranger was. Interesting. Not to mention the fact that a cap was pulled down low, shadowing the face, discouraging Duo in to guessing the person's sex, the slightly baggy trench coat didn't help much either.

"Ye're verra far away from Inverness," the person commented.

Girl, Duo decided. No way could anyone have a voice that was melodious yet husky at the same time, unless they were gay...he hesitated again. He answered, "Um, yeah, I know." He tried to discreetly look beneath the cap, but there was no such luck. "Do you know how I could get there by any chance?" he asked hopefully. "My name's Duo by the way. You're...?" he asked, hoping that the name would at least distinguish the sex of the curious person.

"Weel, it's not a walking distance tae Inverness, lad, it's quite a ways. I s'pose if ye didna have a car, ye would have tae take a cab."

"Uh-huh. What was your name again? I didn't quite catch it," he said, knowing full well it was because he or she hadn't even bothered to answer. "Look, I really need your help here, and I can't just keep standing here guessing if you're a girl or a boy."

The person laughed a surprisingly feminine laugh, which had Duo believing a girl was underneath the sexless disguise, but was discouraged when the individual said, "And what makes ye think that I am no a boy?"

"Well, you have a girly laugh, and a girly voice," Duo said lamely, and flushed, realizing it sounded completely absurd when he said it out loud. Way to go, Maxwell, you've just managed to sound like a complete jackass.

"And what does being a lad or a lass have anything tae do wi' helping ye?"

"So I know...who to thank, oh for Christ's sake, it's just a name!" Duo sputtered, obviously flustered.

"My name is Kellyn."

"Dammit!" Duo shouted. "Don't you have something that gives you proof that you're either a boy or a girl? What is with this?" he voiced his frustration an octave higher. Pointing a finger, he said, "Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Girl," Kellyn answered, and pulled up her ball cap, revealing a set of insanely blue eyes, slanted like a cat's. A long, straight, aristocratic nose, however it was thickened slightly at the base, and listed to the right just barely, and soft, kissable lips completed the picture. There was also two eyebrow piercings he could see on the right side, and three on the left, complete with a nose stud. She cleared her throat, "All right, if ye're done looking, I will give ye directions tae call a cab," she interrupted, staring at him pointedly.

Duo nodded, "Yeah. Do you have money to pay the cab for me too?"

Kellyn stared at him as if he'd gone completely insane. "Are ye daft?" she asked, exasperated. "Do ye even ken where Mallory Hall is? Do ye have money fer food or lodging? Maybe some clothes?" she added. Shaking her head, she tapped her lips thoughtfully with a long forefinger, "Weel, I s'pose ye could stay at my place fer the night until I withdraw some money, then-"

"Okay, hold on, Kellyn," Duo interrupted, lifting a hand. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself as long as you just give me cab fare. I have everything I need at Mallory Hall, my friend assured me of that."

"Mmphm," she grunted in the common Highlander's way. Eyeing him skeptically, she asked, "And yer friend didna bother tae tell ye that ye may also need some money, and perhaps proper directions?"

Duo looked away in slight embarrassment, "I didn't bother to ask her, I didn't want to think that I was inept or something. Besides, I could've found it on my own...after a while. It's not that impossible," he said, albeit doubtfully. Looking slightly down at her, he repeated, "So, are you going to help me or what?"

Kellyn snorted, and pursed her lips. "Do ye need tae get tae Mallory Hall right this verra minute?"

"No," he said slowly, eyeing her nearly neon blue eyes hesitantly. "Why?"

"Ye'll stay at my house fer the night, and I will give ye a ride out there meself. I need tae go tae St. Kilda's anyway, pay my respects," she added. Sighing, she pulled her hat low over her brows once more, and said, "Come along, Duo, nothing will happen tae ye. I live alone."

"This is supposed to reassure me?" he mumbled to himself, unsure why he was actually following her. Maybe it was the hunger and fatigue getting to him, the prospect of a warm bed and food sent a warm feeling shooting though his numb body. An alarming thought soon followed after and he asked, "You are going to feed me, aren't you? Cuz if you're going to murder me I'd die better if I had a full stomach," he said. "You can rape me too if you want first, baby," he said charmingly.

Kellyn groaned in faint annoyance and amusement, and looked up at him, a spark in her eye. "I'll hold ye tae that offer, lad," she said softly, tapping his nose with a forefinger, and strode off, her longs legs carrying her farther and faster than what most would assume.

"Hey! Wait!" Duo sputtered, his mind careening from her sultry comment. "What did that mean?" he demanded.

Laughing merrily, she turned around a corner sharply, causing Duo to skid on one foot, balancing haphazardly until he righted himself, and once again commenced to follow her. Waiting for her to answer, he impatiently repeated his question. Kellyn smiled, and said, "Ye must think that girls are quite clueless, but in fact, they are smarter than men."

"Oh, how dare you," he said, outraged. "Girls are stupid."

"I'm sure they are," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "And that is why most men manage to sound daft, and act that way as weel. I should've known it was just all an act," she said mockingly. Sighing theatrically, she mused, "I have been sae sorely sheltered."

"Ha, ha," Duo said darkly. "Can we slow down here? I feel like someone's chasing after me or something. Why do you have to walk so fast? Are you one of those power walkers? Jesus, you remind me of Heero," he muttered.

"Who is Heero?" she asked.

"None of your business. Now, back to our conversation that girls are-"

"Ah, yes, Professor Duo, how I have been misled. Here, I have thought that women were smarter, higher IQ's, better job capabilities, longer memories, longer attention spans, sensitive feelings, but bedamned, men are the smarter ones," she exclaimed in a tone of mock dismay. "I shall have tae call all of my friends tae let them ken that they are all stupid, and to quit their jobs at law firms, private clinics, governmental-"

"Okay, I get your point," he interrupted hastily. "I'm just saying, some girls are smart," he ended lamely.

"Oh!" she expressed in derived surprise. "Was that all, Professor?" she asked innocently. "Some girls, why, this is such a relief! I see that I was worried about nothing after all. Thank you so much for clearing this up, Prof-"

"I get the point," Duo said irritably, but found himself smiling nonetheless. "You're impossible to get through. You misunderstand me, and I don't know if it's on purpose, and you twist my words around. Are you a lawyer too, by any chance?" he asked, suddenly frightened by that idea.

Kellyn laughed merrily, "No, I am no a lawyer," she answered. "None offense meant tae some of my friends that are lawyers, but I think it's a bloody boring job, wi' privileges of ripping defenseless, unprepared people apart." She shook her head, "Nay, I would ne'ver find myself in that neat little trap."

"Then what trap did you land yourself in?"

"A trap that doesna concern you, Duo," she said in a deadly whisper. Turning in to a well lit double glass and dark oak doors, she slid a key that seemed to materialize out of nowhere in her hand, and shoved it in to the metal lock. It opened with the shlink, and they were both bombarded with a well-lit lobby, richly furnished, and mingled perfume and cologne.

"Oh, my Gaaw~" Duo uttered, clapping a hand over his eyes against the unaccustomed darkness, and wrinkled his nose at the smell. "If you wanted me to suffer in death with an empty stomach, you should've just stabbed me in the gut in some dark alley, and left me there to die!" he shouted. "Damn you!"

Kellyn chuckled as she grabbed his arm and pulled him in, shutting the door behind them. "Come on, ye little babe. It's no like this at my place."

"Oh, a little sacrifice you've had to deal with," he said, blinking several times, thinking his eyes must be deceiving him. Surely it was merely being blinded by the sudden light after the dark hallway that made everything seem so brassy. But when he narrowed his eyes to take a good hard look, nothing dimmed. "Oh, my God," he said again, noticing the room more closely.

The room was all done up in red flocked wallpaper and gold fabrics, and every item that wasn't nailed down appeared to have been gilded to within an inch of its life. He'd never seen such an accumulation of ticky-tackies in one place in his life. "Damn," he said. "Why not just live in a whorehouse? It would probably be more subdued." He stared in amazement at the table lamp beside him: It was painted with overblown roses, trimmed in gold leaf, and dripping with crystal teardrops that clicked and chimed where the brush of his hand had set them in motion. Picking up a crimson velvet pillow that had Reno, The Biggest Little City in the World embroidered in metallic gold thread, he fingered its fat tassels while trying to find just one furnishing that was a neutral color or unembellished by curlicues, gold, or fringe. But every item his gaze lit upon seemed more garish than the one before, and he was appalled right down to the bottom of his soul. When the heck had this person accumulated all this? And where? The store for the mentally challenged?

Watching the play of emotions playing across Duo's face, Kellyn's lips twitched with amusement, and she slung a long, toned arm along his well developed shoulders. Smiling broadly, she said, "Makes ye wish ye had just as weel died out in the cold, aye?"

Duo glared at her accusingly. "I hate you," he muttered. "This is an unusual and very cruel punishment you have just thrown my way, and I swear to God, you will burn for this. I really hope your room is different, toots, cuz if not, you might as well just shoot me right now. Maybe we can spruce up this gaudy place with my blood. It's a noble sacrifice."

Kellyn laughed and began pulling him towards the elevators. "It's different, believe you me," she said. "That is how ye Americans say it, aye?" Punching the 'up' arrow, she looked up at the numbers slowly highlight themselves as the elevator began its slow descent. "I used tae ken a bunch of American transfer students running around 'ere, and we got pretty chummy wi' each other."

"Cool, so, what exactly do you do? I mean, in general, what do you do?" he asked, stepping in to the elevator just as it dinged, and the double doors slid open smoothly. Turning, Kellyn punched the number 3, as he saw the horrible nightmare of a lobby close sliver by sliver until it was completely gone from his sight, and all he saw was his reflection, and Kellyn's.

Smiling, she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "What has ye sae curious? It's no as if I'll see ye again, aye? What's it matter?" The door slid open once more, and she stepped out in to a crimson colored hallway.

Duo blinked again. "My God, did someone get murdered here? It's so...red! Your landlord has some serious issues with color coordination. This is abuse to their tenants, nearly color-blinding them, and then shoving them in to gilded rooms, red rooms...what next? Neon blue, purple, hot pink...? This is an outrage, serious outrage, I think-"

"Do ye always go off on these weird tangents?" Kellyn interrupted. Stopping at a door reading 6667, she took out her keys once more, and selected a particular one, sliding it in easily, and swung her door open. "Welcome tae my domain," she said, laughing maniacally.

"6667, huh? How fitting. 666 is the devil's number, and 7 happens to be an unlucky number or a lucky one. Did you choose this number all by yourself or something? Nobody could manage to pull that off without meaning it," Duo commented, walking past Kellyn and in to the dark apartment.

"Weel, this girl managed to pull it off wi'out meaning tae," Kellyn retorted, and flipped on the lights.

The room was done in soft colors and quiet comfort. Style was added by a scattering of Art Nouveau, in the bronze lamp shaped like along, slim woman, and the sinuous etched flowers on the glass doors of a curious cabinet displaying a collection of antique beaded bags. A large hidden cabinet had one cherry wood door open, revealing a large screen TV, a shelf of DVD's, CD's, videos, and other paraphernalia. The couch arched gently in a half circle, and a warm, honey-colored throw casually draped the back of it. A small glass dining table was on the far edge of the room, near the foyer.

"Wow, it's so different, my mind is reeling," Duo said slowly. Looking around, "You don't have any hidden stuff, do you? Sort of like don't judge a book by its cover? You have another disgusting, horrible habit or something?"

Kellyn rolled her eyes, "No, I dinna," she said firmly. Dropping her keys in to a crystal bowl that was set upon a mahogany table, by the door, she toed her boots off, and set them under the table. Walking further in to the living room, she switched the lights on, and bathed the room in soft light, almost a romantic setting. Sighing, she opened a small door where Duo was standing, and a large streak slipped through the door, and pounded across the wooden floor boards in a frenzy. Laughing, Kellyn knelt down, and patted her thigh as she called out, "Zareh!"

"You have a dog?" Duo asked, wondering if that was even the correct term for this miniature bear drooling all over himself and anyone and anything near it, as he stooped down next to her, and stroked the surprisingly soft, short fur. It was pure black with hazel eyes glowing out, and ears perked, suddenly noticing an intruder, got down on to its haunches and growled, raising its hackles. "Uh-huh," he commented uncertainly, and hastily stood up, stepping back a few inches.

"No sudden moves, Duo," Kellyn said. Petting the dog, she crooned some foreign sounding words, and somehow, the insanely large beast calmed, and snorted in an agitated manner, and sat down obediently. Looking up, she grabbed Duo's hand, and slowly brought him over, and offered his hand for inspection. Obviously, the dog was satisfied after a few sniffs, and seemed apparently uninterested in him, and whined at Kellyn.

"I ken ye have tae go tae the privy," she said, "but we must see tae our guest, aye, mo chride?"

When the dog growled at Duo, as if blaming him for his forbiddance to use the bathroom, Kellyn chided gently, "Now, now, Zareh. Ye should be nice tae yer guests, aye? 'Tis unlucky tae make them feel anything but." She watched the dog sulk off, and sighed, shaking her head, "Worse than people," she muttered.

"What kind of dog is he?"

"Eh? Oh, aye, a staghound, he's aboot the...ninth, tenth generation? His name is Armenian, it means 'Protector.'" Sniffing a sudden runny nose, she strolled over to the kitchen, swinging the oak door to admit herself in.

"Okay, you leave me here alone," Duo muttered and followed in after her. "Whoa," he said, blinking against the sudden brightness. There were shiny appliances everywhere, a huge island in the middle was complete with a state of the art coffee machine, toaster, blender, everything you could imagine. The sink was sparkling brightly; the fridge was a sub-zero one molded in to the right wall, and the floor was spic and span with a black and white checker boarded setting. Eyeing her dubiously, he asked, "You don't cook, do you?"

"Nonsense," she said in a huff. "Get out of my kitchen!" she shouted, and shoved him out. Sliding open a window, she watched Duo sit on the stool at the wet bar, and gaze in to the kitchen. She glared at him as he repeated his question, "Shut up," she said. Leaning over the counter, and around Duo, she pointed to the large cabinet where the TV and other multimedia materials were stored, she said, "Go watch TV, listen tae the radio, watch a movie, play a game, or get on the computer. Just get away from me."

"All right, all right, sheesh," Duo grumbled as he slid off the stool. "Where's your computer?" he asked.

"It's sitting on the table," she answered absentmindedly, holding a fridge door open as she looked in, pondering on what she should prepare for dinner. Looking over her shoulder, she answered Duo's question, "Aye, ye can do whatever ye want on the computer sitting on the counter. What kind of food do ye like?" she asked him.

"Food," he answered, studying the laptop's desktop screen in mystified confusion. "What is with your computer? You have more crap stored on here than Heero does. What the hell is 'Abdicrax?'"

Stiffening slightly, she strolled over to the laptop and slammed the top down, and snatched it from him, cursing under her breath as she set it on the surface in front of her, and opened it again. Clicking a few buttons she waited a moment, tapping her fingers on to the countertop.

"What the hell was that about?" Duo asked her, staring as if she had just sprouted another head. "You have something to hide? Some porn? It's okay, baby, no need to be ashamed," he commented, smiling.

"Nay," she answered tersely. "Ye're disgusting," she added, and promptly ended all means of conversation as she typed another few words, and handed the computer back to him in a generic setting, with nothing hi-tech about it anymore. Turning back to the fridge, she pulled out several bagged greens, and a paper wrapped bundle. Dropping them on the island, she slid a long knife from the block of wood, and opened a plastic bag, turning towards the sink, cleaning the items. "What did you say?" she asked.

"Your dog wants to go outside really, really bad," Duo repeated patiently, eyeing the dog roiling on the floor in obvious agony. "I don't know if I feel sorry for it, or admire its uncanny ability to hold itself, instead of bursting on the floor."

Kellyn clucked her tongue sharply over the roof of her mouth. "Would you just open the foyer door? He'll vault over it, and find some way to get back in sooner or later," she said.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Duo exclaimed, ogling at the dog and then its obviously mentally unstable owner. "We're on the third floor, Zareh will die if he vaults over that! Why do you punish your dog, dude?" he said, shaking his head.

"He'll be fine, he's done it-"

"Oh, sure," Duo said sarcastically, his eyes now attracted to the screen in front of him. He tapped a few words. "He's done it before, so he'll forever be-"

"Then you take him out, if you're so-," she said.

"Come on, dog, get out on the foyer," he said immediately, and hopped off the stool, making a beeline towards the double doors.

Kellyn laughed and shook her head.

Comfortable silence grew as Duo was focused on the computer, busy doing something, and Kellyn was cooking. A few times he reached out and snagged bits of food, and earned a smart rap on his arm or hand by Kellyn. The smell of the rich aroma of food caused him to look up about a half hour later, stomach grumbling he pushed the computer away, and leaned over on his elbows. Studying her for a moment while she worked with her back him, he realized that he hadn't even noticed that she had taken off her trench coat and cap. Butter soft jeans enhanced enticing womanly curves and endless long legs, and a man's flannel shirt was tied neatly off at her waist. Her hair was what took him by surprise and gave his hands a faint twitch, wanting to slide them through the silky hair. It fell down her back in a thick mane of lazy curls, illuminated with a fire engine red, with streaks of blonde, auburn, copper, and other various shades of red.

"Is that your natural hair color?"

"Aye, it is," she said, smiling. Her blue eyes danced with mischievousness as she looked over her shoulder. "Does it surprise ye?"

Duo nodded, "Yeah, it does. It's so many different colors of red, it's almost impossible to have it be natural."

"Weel, yer hair is highlighted with different shades of brown," she said, pointing her chin in his direction. Scrunching her nose, she said, "But I dinna think I like yer hair style, ever think about cutting it?"

"What?" Duo screeched, gripping his braid and wrapping it tightly around his hand, clutching the mass against his chest. "Don't ever say that! I will never cut! Never!" he shouted.

Kellyn laughed, "Sae protective over hair," she said.

"What, and your not?" he asked sullenly.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes, "Nay, it's a nuisance," she answered, turning back to the food. "Always getting in yer way. I've had many a notion tae just shave all my hair off." Shoving back her hair impatiently, she tsked and swept her hair back in to a rough ponytail, and secured it in a knot.

"Well, at least you don't have the guts to do it, right?" Duo grinned.

"Oh really?" Kellyn asked, curving her lips in to a smile. Taking a pair of kitchen scissors, she grabbed a chunk from her hair, and snipped it off, waving sheared off hair, gathered like a stag's pelt and waved it under Duo's face. "There, now, ye think I canna do more, aye?" she demanded.

"You're crazy, you know that? Absolutely crazy," Duo said, shaking his head. "Call me when dinner's completely ready, will you?" he asked, getting off the stool and disappearing from the sight of vision from the kitchen's window. The sound of a racy car chase blasting throughout the apartment indicated that he was off to play around with her TV. Rapid channel flipping ensued as he sat on the couch, watching in fascination as different screens captured his attention for about five seconds.

"Dinner's ready," Kellyn called out, after having laid out all of the food out on the table. Miraculously, the dog had appeared from night excursion, and writhed itself across the hardwood floor, as it whined, begging for food in different means of begging.

Hands shoved in his pockets, Duo walked over to the table, and nearly burst in to tears. It was such a beautiful sight. There was a sort of sandwich stuffed with some kind of seafood meat, golden on the outsides. Salad, mashed potatoes, and creamed corn completed the side-dishes. Two flutes of wine, and glasses of milk were set on the sides.

"Oh, my God. Will you marry me? Please?" Duo asked her, sitting down at the table, swallowing several times as the saliva in his mouth threatened to drown him.

Kellyn chuckled, "Of course no, ye're just saying this only because ye're hungry. Remember, I canna cook."

"You're a liar and you know it," Duo immediately retorted, rolling his eyes. "If you can't cook, then this is some helluva magic trick," Duo said, eyeing her speculatively.

With a grin, she sat down, primly crossing her hands, "Weel, maybe 'tis a magic trick, aye? All of a sudden, poof, and all the food are gone."

"Shaddup," he said, "it's not a matter of joking around when food is present."

Kellyn burst out laughing, "Ye're a verra strange person, ye ken that, aye?"

"Of course I do, that's why the ladies love me," he said, around a mouth full of his sandwich. "What is in this stuff anyway?"

"Lobster and crab meat marinated in white wine, stuffed in tae a sourdough slices, with a little butter and pepper, then oven-baked," she said. "Do ye like it?" she asked, taking her own bite of her creation.

"Love it," he garbled.

The dinner went on for the better part of the hour, with a few comments from Duo, but otherwise, was intent on keeping silent as he ate away. As the food slowly disappeared, Duo leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach. "That was delicious..." he muttered. "I'm so stuffed you're going to have to roll me to the couch," he finished, laughing half-heartedly.

"Then I guess ye dinna want desert?" she asked, hiding her grin as Duo shot up from the chair with amazing speed for one so stuffed, and shouted, "Desert? What do you have?" Laughing, she stacked dishes, and walked in to the kitchen, "Homemade vanilla ice cream with blueberry pie."

"Well, I think I can manage a slice..." Duo said slowly, smiling.

"I'm sure ye could," she said gravely, her blue eyes twinkling. Opening the fridge door, she took out a tub of ice cream, and the pie, setting them on the island, next to two plates. Frowning as she scooped out the ice cream she asked, "Why would ye sleep on the couch?"

"What?" Duo asked, surprised after a moment of bonding with the large dog. "Well, because it's the standard to have guests sleep-"

"Nay, lad, ye'll be taking my bed, and I will sleep on the couch. It's only standard in Scotland tae do so," she interrupted, shaking her head. She handed Duo the plate. "Hurry up and finish, we have a long day ahead of us. Mallory Hall needs some assistance anyway."

Duo looked at her with an odd look. "Why do you make it sound like you live at Mallory Hall? Or at least weirdly familiar with it."

Kellyn merely shrugged as an answer, and walked out of the kitchen, her own plate in hand. "Weel, come along, I'll show ye my bedroom. 'Tis a bit messy, but I dinna think ye'll mind some, aye?"

"No," Duo answered, digging in to his pie. Following Kellyn and balancing a plate while eating seemed to be a magnificent feat for him, and he commented so to Kellyn, which got her to laugh, strangely making him feel good.

"This is my room," she announced, and stepped inside.

He recognized her scent first. That cheerful, sexy fragrance hung in the air, the result, no doubt, of spilled powder and an unstoppered bottle of perfume. Her clothes were a colorful mess of silk, pants, and tangled hose. His quick scan passed over a life-size stuffed ostrich, a pair of thriving ficus trees flanking the wide window, and a collection of antique bottles, elegant in jewel colors, before he focused on the bed.

It was a long, wide ocean of cool blue sheets, topped by a lush mountain of vivid-toned pillows. All satins and silks.

"That looks big enough for six close friends."

"I like a lot of room. I used tae fall out of bed a lot when I was a kid."

"Is that how you broke your nose?"

"No, but I chipped a tooth once."

Duo laughed as he began to yawn. Just looking at that ocean of a bed made him sleepy. She allowed her to take the nearly finished dish from him, and he collapsed face down on the bed, in a dead sleep.

Laughing softly, she closed the door behind her, and walked to the couch, Zareh close at her heels. Flopping down on the couch, tucking both legs under herself, she rested her cheek against her knee as she patted Zareh, who had lunged after her, settling himself comfortably wedged against her side. Frowning thoughtfully, she drifted off in to space as she thought about the newcomer in her house, and his mentioning of Mallory Hall. Was it a coincidence?

Relena, her fourth cousin had phoned in mere days ago to ask if one of her close friends could stay at her house. She had hesitated, but shrugged, what would be the worse that could happen? There would be servants everywhere, and important rooms were locked off with no key available except for her. Upon agreeing, she had found Duo wandering around the streets of Edinburgh, and found that he was to be her house guest. She smiled coyly, wondering what his reaction would be when he found out that she was the owner of Mallory Hall? Not to mention several other castles across Scotland and England, and she was known, not as Kellyn, but Duchess Kellyn of Beaucaire and Derbyshire, the first cousin to the King of England? Most likely collapse of a mass heart attack, she mused silently to herself, her eyes twinkling with suppressed amusement.

All too suddenly, the smile disappeared as she thought of the supposed curse upon Mallory Hall. Supposedly, every native in Scotland had believed in the curse, and because of that, had the devil of a time finding willing live-in servants to stay at Mallory. Despite the hefty payment, none had been all too willing, and being a superstitious Scot as well; she sincerely believed that the house was cursed. She remembered a time when she had once lived there with her nurse, and a fatal accident had occurred. Actually, three since the time she had lived there at four, and finally left at six.

Once, when she had been riding her tame and obedient white mare, she had gone ballistic at a particular point in the trail they had token for the better part of six months. On that one particular day and time, the mare had gone insane, bucked her off, and plunged head-long in to a cliff, thus ending her life. Kellyn had come to, finding herself in her own room, with a thick bandaging on her head, right arm in a cast, and her nurse clucking at her, hovering. They had soon found out, that on that particularly fatal day, a clan woman of long ago, Lady Teranika's lover had died for her, or was it because of her? Who knew, the only thing was, her husband had brutally killed Teranika's lover out of jealousy. The story behind the entire killing had sent shivers up her spine.

Then, another time, her nurse had slipped down the stairs, a descendant of the MacPherson clan, swearing that she had felt a hand at her back before her plunge. The thing was, no body had been behind her. Two hours later, she had died out a blood hemorrhage in her brain.

The last, Kellyn had been nearly killed while she had been playing in her mother's room, and the glass plastered on to the ceiling started to split without her noticing. Shards of razor sharp glass fell from the ceiling, embedding itself in to every soft surface. Luckily, Kellyn had run out of the room screaming at the top of her lungs, terrified beyond belief. That very day, every one was packing and leaving out of fear for their lives.

Those three incidents weren't the only ones to really confirm that Mallory Hall and the entire fate of the MacPhersons were doomed. A once prosperous clan was dwindling. Ancestors died, skilled horsemen crushed by horses, swimmers drowning in a small, gentle pond, hunters ripped apart by their own loyal dogs. Mallory Hall was death trap for any who stepped inside. She was nervous to bring Duo there, nervous to bring any one in there, but she had no choice, really. Besides, there had been no bizarre accidents for a long while.

Sighing, she curled around her dog, snuggling her nose in to his fur, closing her eyes. She was worrying about nothing. She was sure of it.

* * * * * * * * * *

Duo woke slowly, blinking his eyes as he stared blankly at the peach colored ceiling. "What the hell?" he asked himself groggily. Then the memories of the night before came back at him in a flood, and his stomach grumbled at the smell of bacon and eggs drifting under the crack of her door.

Groaning, he kept rolling until he fell off the bed, and landed on the floor with a thump. Shaking his head, he slowly got up, scratching under his arm as he opened the door and shuffled out in to the kitchen. "Good morning, gorgeous," he said happily, sliding his hands through her waist. "You are a goddess," he commented, looking over her shoulder at the food sizzling on three skillets.

"Are ye daft?" Kellyn asked crossly, taking his hands off her waist. "What's with the sudden touchiness?" she complained.

"What, you don't like to be touched?" he laughed, poking her in the side.

"If ye value yer life, ye willna do that again," she said quietly. "Hurry up and eat, I'm going tae take a shower, and we'll be off."

Leaving him to eat what was on the skillet, he leaned against the counter and helped himself. In about ten minutes, she was out again, in a pair of shorts, showing off long, bronzed legs, and several tattoos spiraling down them, ending with several silver and gold anklets on both legs. A black midriff tube top showed more bronze skin, more tattoos, belly ring, and her hair was blown out in a soft cloud. Whistling happily, she padded barefoot in to the kitchen, and chomped down on a biscuit as she poured coffee in to a travel mug.

"Jesus, don't you clean up nice?" Duo muttered, his eyes following her every move. He wasn't going to be a saint, not that he had been from the start, if she kept showing skin, and just walking around.

Smiling Kellyn asked, "Ready?"

* * * * * * * * * *

"And then," Kellyn continued as she zipped through traffic, "Teranika was to get married tae this old deutschbag of a guy after her first husband died at Culloden. Sae, she marries him, realizing that that is the only way out, and I want tae say they live happily ever after, but she's miserable. While she's greeting the guests and all, this guy comes to her, and he tries tae make a move on her. A marrit woman! Can ye believe that?"

"It's not that I'm not fascinated by the twists and turns of Trinika..."

"Teranika."

"Right." Duo winced as she cut off a sedan. "I just wish you'd watch the road. We want to make it to Mallory Hall in one piece, remember?"

"I'm not speeding." Frowning, she glanced down at her speedometer. "Hardly."

She handled the five-speed like a seasoned veteran of the Indianapolis 500, Duo thought. And at the moment she was treating the other, innocent drivers on the road like competitors. "Maybe you could find a home in one land and stay there."

"Killjoy." But she did as he asked. "I hardly ever get to drive. I love it."

He had to smile. The wind whipping in through the open sunroof was blowing her hair everywhere. "I'd never have guessed."

"The last time I had a chance was when L.D. and I went to some fancy do in St. Kilda's." She checked the mirror, and unable to resist, shot into the next lane. "One trip with me and he insisted on taking his car and driver every damn place." She sent Duo a bright smile.

"Who's L.D.?"

"Oh, my last boyfriend," she said, letting out a sigh, staring straight ahead. "We broke up on mutual terms and everything's fine," she said with a grin, "if that was what you were thinking. There's no need for sympathy."

"Wouldn't even think about it."

Punching the gas and handily cutting off another car, she slid in to the exit lane. At the rude blast of its horn, she only lifted a hand and waved.

"He wasn't being friendly," Duo pointed out-after he took his hands from in front of his eyes.

"I ken. But that's no reason fer me tae be rude."

"Some people consider cutting off another driver rude."

"No. That's an adventure."

Somehow they made it without mishap. But the moment she'd squeezed into a parking place between two cars in front of the large Mallory Hall estate, he collapsed out of the car, sobbing on the ground on all hands and knees. Although he was kind of reluctant to part with the sleek Maserati with its leather interior and stereo system fit only in a den of a rich mansion.

"We're here, stop exaggerating," she snorted, rolling her eyes. Pulling him up beside her, she looped an arm through his, and walked happily up the stone trail leading towards the ornate double doors. Humming to herself, she pulled open the door as if she owned the place.

"Do you live here?" Duo asked.

Kellyn smiled. "Aye, 'tis been in my family for generations...Teranika used tae live here," she announced albeit hesitantly.

"You mean the woman who cursed this place? Oh, that's great. I ask Relena for a nice place to relax, I didn't mean for it to be forever."

Laughing, she patted his back sympathetically, "'Tis nothing tae worry aboot, lad. Nothing has been going wrong here since-"

She was cut off by a piercing scream of pain and agony. Exchanging quick glances with Duo, they both sprinted off towards the direction of the scream. Being more familiar with the place, Kellyn got there first, and knelt down next to the fallen person. Both their mouths fell open as they saw the pale figure crushed under the weight of a chandelier, belonged to no other than Relena.

* * * * * * * * * *

AN: Okay, what do you all think?? Like it? Does Relena die? What's she doing there in the first place, it belongs to Kellyn, and it's like they were exactly chummy, right?...or were they...??? Questions, questions, questions, aye? Well, hang tight and find out on my next chapter!! REVIEW, plz.... if you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, review it or email me at hex_demon666@hotmail.com. Thank you once more!!