To Andrea – Know what? Yeah. I hope I continue, too, but I'm gonna be moving near the end of March, so… yeah.

To Alonelyshadow – I'm so glad you're happy! I love my story, too! I might do something really bad to Trowa, but it won't make them separate! I'll try to update sooner this time around!

To Robin Maxwell – Aren't you just such a poor little reviewer? I'd snuggle you, but you might take that the wrong way… Anywho, I'm working on this story as fast as I can, but I'm sorry to say that if I do, lots of bad things are going to happen to Duo and Trowa…


"He's cute," Death commented, watching the tail end of Claudia disappear around the corner.

"You think all guys are cute." Duo countered, turning and walking into the house. "Why are you here?"

"Duo, you're mean." Death pouted, following him inside. "Truth be told, I'm in big trouble."

"How so?" He asked, dropping his backpack on the floor and heading to the kitchen.

"I need a date."

"A date?" He repeated, pulling leftover pizza out of the fridge.

"Yes."

"And that has… what to do with the price of yo-yos in Japan?" He asked, taking a bit of cold pizza.

"Weelll…" Death said slowly, pausing before continuing in one breath. "Every ten years God and Lucifer throw a big party in the Nether Planes and all their servants are supposed to attend and there are peace talks and good food and if I don't show Lucifer will take it as an insult since I'm the chief Reaper so I have to go but it's considered bad juju to show up to the party alone so I have to have a date but that jezebel angel Maria stole my date this time around so I have no one to go with so I want to take you."

"Ah, hell."


"Now, remember, Duo," Death whispered, adjusting her barely legal black leather dress one last time, "don't talk to any of the lesser devils, don't talk back to God or Lucifer, let me do most of the talking, and for Heaven's sake, do not hit on any of the angels!"

"For the last time," Duo whispered back, "I'm nowhere near as horny as you! I can keep my libido under control just fine, thank you very much!"

The large marble doors opened slowly, putting an end to their conversation, and a beautiful alto voice that could be male or female announced from everywhere and nowhere, "Presenting Chief Reaper Death and her foremost servant, the human Duo!"

Death tugged slightly on Duo's arm, leading him into a hall lovely beyond imagining.

The entire room was walled and roofed in the same gleaming white as the doors, with deep windows large enough to admit flying horses, soft tapestries at even intervals, and a ceiling so high he could barely see it.

"Don't stare." Death hissed, calling Duo's attention back to reality just in time to see God Himself.

"Death," The dignified young blond on the right-hand throne said softly, inclining his head at the two.

"Lord Elohim," Death responded, curtsying as best her tight skirt would allow, pulling Duo down in a clumsy half-bow. "Lady Lucifer," She added, turning to the black skinned woman to God's left.

"Death," Lucifer responded, nodding so that pure silver bangs fell across her burning red eyes. "I'm so pleased you could make it on time this decade."

"My escort is somewhat more… compliant than the demon you provided me with at the last Gathering, my Lady." Death responded, smiling politely. "Duo does not insist we stop every five minutes so he can feed off the souls of humans." The Reaper's violet eyes burned with a sort of angry fire, as if nothing would please her more than to lunge at the woman in front of her and rip that obsidian throat open.

"As charming and full of rage as ever," Lucifer remarked to God, flashing a vicious fanged smile in Death's direction. "Are you sure you won't trade her to me? I could put her to such good use in the outer Rings."

God just smiled indulgently at Lucifer and put His pale hand atop her dark one.

"If you will excuse us, my Lord, my Lady," Death said politely, curtsying again and stepping back from the thrones. As soon as God and Lucifer turned their attention to the next pair of guests, Death yanked Duo into the crowd and fought her way to one smooth white wall.

"I hate that woman!" The buxom brunette seethed, growling under her breath. "Every single time, she baits me, hoping I'll get angry enough to loose my position! She can't stand the fact that I was made chief Reaper instead of her!"

"What?" Duo interrupted, confused.

"Lucifer's real name is Cholera. She's about the tenth Lucifer in the history of mankind, and she's wanted to be chief Reaper for centuries at least. She may hold absolute power in Hell, but on Earth, I outrank her, since fifty million treaties say she can't take human life. She's power-hungry beyond belief, Duo, and that's why she'll never get any higher than she is now, and she can't stand it!"

"Oh," Duo said, at a loss for words. "Um… what about God? Is that just a job title, too?"

"No!" Death gasped, looking as if he'd just asked if Death had ever slept with the current Lucifer. "God is God! He could never be replaced! That's very close to sacrilege, Duo, and I'd watch what you say here, because most of those beings wouldn't think twice about ripping you in two with their bare hands."

"Too true," A silky voice to Duo's left said, and a totally nude woman with bronze skin, high, firm breasts, and midnight hair that trailed behind her on the soft carpet separated from the crowd. "And 'twould be a shame, truly, to rend thus such a handsome male, though he doth be human."

"Hold it right there, succubus!" Death exclaimed, interposing herself between Duo and the naked demon. "You know the rules; keep your filthy magic off my servant, or I'll be justified in shredding your wings!"

The succubus hissed angrily, her skin fading to a mottled gray and ugly red bat wings shimmered into view behind her.

"How darest thou, Reaper!" She demanded, her teeth elongating into two-inch fangs against blood red lips. "How darest thou dispel mine illusions! Thou hast no right, foul whore! I'll make thee a carrion feast for the vultures!"

"Hold, Sissa," A weary, scaled demon ordered softly, placing one clawed hand on the succubus's shoulder. "You'll not be the cause of rioting while I have thee with me," it whispered, its long neck weaving slightly so that its slim, arrow-shaped head swayed back and forth. It sighed softly, eyelids drooping over dull blue eyes the size of Duo's fist.

"Is he okay?" Duo whispered to Death, wondering if it was okay to worry about what was obviously a creature of Hell.

"Art thou well, good salem?" Death asked, no concern coloring her voice.

"Aye, though weary enough for three," the scaled demon responded, its whole body swaying. "I thank thee for thy concern, human, and assure thee that my health suffers not so much as my spirit," It said, addressing its answer at Duo himself. Then it slowly began to topple forward, loosing its gentle grip on the succubus.

Without thinking, Duo darted forward and caught the salem before it could hit the floor and wondered why no one else had done the same.

"Are you all right?" He asked, helping it stand upright again.

"Aye…Aye!" The salem exclaimed in wonder. "What magic hast thou cast, young human, to so renew my strength? I have no felt so young in an age! I thank thee with the whole of my heart!"

"What's going on over here?" An irritated female voice demanded as Lucifer herself pushed through the small crowd around Duo and the salem. "What are you doing to my salem, foul human!"

"Nay, mistress Lucifer, 'twas not thus!" The succubus protested, stepping between the raging demon and Duo. "Aged Tesna succumbed to his illness again, and the human lad did save him! Aye, look to Tesna's eyes, Lady! When did they last shine with such light? This human carries some magic that did heal Tesna of the poison in him, I swear it!"

"Thou'rt given to fancies, Sissa." Lucifer said coldly, glaring down at the succubus until the lesser demon bowed her head in defeat. "If the human has such magic, I would see it for myself, not hear it secondhand from a lowly succubus. If he can Heal, let us see him heal old Rend!"

"My Lady, surely you're not serious!" Death protested. "Rend has been ill for nearly a century now, and no one in Heaven or Hell can help him! You can't expect a human to be able to do anything!"

Duo, for his part, just stood there, feeling queasy. He had no idea who Rend was, or what was wrong with him, but Death didn't seem to want him anywhere near this guy. The queasiness increased until Duo realized that Rend wasn't what was making him nauseous; it was whatever had been wrong with Tesna.

"Death?" He said softly, finding he couldn't speak above a loud whisper. "I really don't feel good."

"Art thou ill, boy?" Sissa asked, touching three claw-tipped fingers to Duo's face. "Thou'rt warm, yet thy face is pale. Tell me thou did not take Tesna's poison into thyself!"

"I…I think so." Duo managed, feeling bile well up in his throat. "I'm not sure what I did."

"Is something the matter?" Suddenly God was standing behind Lucifer, His large hazel eyes taking in the scene in seconds. "Has something happened to your servant, Death?"

"It seems Duo took whatever it was that was making that salem sick into his own body, Lord." Death said. "And if it could weaken a salem so much, it's probably fatal to humans." She added softly, biting the tip of her finger.

"That, we will not have," God assured the brunette, stepping around Lucifer and kneeling in front of Duo. "For ashdream may be inseparable from salem essence, but is easily extractable from a human soul."


"Duo, you have a visitor!" Death announced cheerfully, easing open the door to Duo's bedroom. "Are you up to it?"

"Ugh." Duo responded.

"I'll take that as a yes." Death decided, opening the door wider to admit… Relena Peacecraft.

"Duo, darling, I heard you were sick," Relena said softly, walking over to the bed and kneeling on the floor next to it. "I was so worried about you when you didn't show up in World History. Are you feeling all right? Do you need anything?"

I'm going to kill you for this. Duo shot at Death, who was still watching from the hallway, grinning like a maniac.

You mean you're going to try, Death responded silently before clearing her throat. "I'm going to go make some hot chocolate, you two. Want some?"

"Yes, please, ma'am." Relena responded while Duo just did his best to nod.

"Then I'll leave you two alone for a bit. Try not to tire him out, Miss Peacecraft; he's still very weak, and even talking exhausts him."

"Yes, ma'am,"

Death gave Duo a parting grin over Relena's shoulder as she closed the door most of the way and bounded down to the kitchen.

"I hope you don't mind me dropping in unexpectedly like this, but I don't have your number, so I couldn't call you." Relena said after a few moments. "I remember you like wildflowers, so I bought you some on the way here,"

"Hn." Duo grunted. Although he would never admit it to anyone else, he did appreciate the girl's thoughtfulness, especially when she put the flowers in a vase of mineral water and arranged it on top of his dresser. She was really very sweet, when she wasn't going after him like he was the last man on Earth.

"I hope you like them. Your mother told me you're getting better, but if you want, I could have my personal physician come visit you just to make sure," She said, kneeling next to the bed again. "I can't stay very long, but you know I'll be thinking of you, right?" She paused for a moment, then went on. "It's strange, Duo; I don't think you've ever been sick before, at least as long as I've known you, which is a very long time indeed. I'm really very sorry, but I need to go now; I have dance lessons, and you know I can't miss those."

Relena slipped out of the bedroom just as Death arrived with the hot chocolate in one hand and Trowa's arm in the other.

"Leaving already?" Death asked, pouting slightly. "And here I went and made hot chocolate and everything."

"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Maxwell, but I'm afraid that my parents won't let me break schedule today. Perhaps another time?"

"Definitely," Death said, smiling, as Relena made her way to the stairs. "Come back soon!" She called, leading Trowa into the bedroom and closing the door with her foot. "Rescued by conformity, eh, Duo?"

Duo just glared, trying his best to look threatening; harder than it sounds, when you're wearing nothing but boxers and socks with little penguins on them.

"Hey, Duo." Trowa said, smiling. "You two always this fuzzy with each other?"

"I'm not sure," Death said slowly, setting down the mugs of hot chocolate on Duo's nightstand, "but I think that might have been sarcastic."

"Wow. Nothing gets by you, huh?"

"Look, you," Death warned, shaking a finger at Trowa, "you may be Aurthor Barton's son and Claudia's owner, but that won't stop me from kicking your ass. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly." Trowa answered, still smiling unrepentantly.

"As long as we're clear, I'll be going now. General Hospital's on." Snagging one of the mugs, Death turned and flounced out of the room, ponytail swinging.

"A car freak who watches soups?" Trowa asked, plopping down on the edge of the bed. "You've got one weird boss there, Duo."

"Yeah." Duo said, sitting up all the way and reaching for one of the remaining hot chocolates.

"What I'd like to know," Trowa continued, grabbing the cup and handing it to Duo before claiming the last one for himself, "is how you managed to get this sick since yesterday afternoon. I know what hangovers look like, and this isn't one. You weren't coming down with anything yesterday, yet today you can barely talk. It's strange."

Duo took a sip of his drink, glad he was having trouble talking. Because he was suddenly ceased by a strange desire to tell Trowa the truth; about Sissa and Tesna, God, and especially about Lucifer. Which would either totally blow his cover or loose him a friend, and it's not like he had friends to spare.


Oh, yeah. I'm evil. Duo got sick… in a very weird way… and I totally complimented Relena in this chapter. I think I'm gonna go hang myself now.