A/N: Ohmygod!! I reached double figures!!!! YAAAAAY (can u tell I'm happy?). Also, I am sooooooo sorry it took me so long to update this…but I was trapped without a computer for most of the summer! Just a slight reminder as Sybil is in this chappie…this story is AU as Sybil and Vimes were only ever good friends, but still live together (as Vimes would never cheat on Sybil).

Thanks so much to all my wonderful reviewers:

Annie Wilkes1: glad u liked my humble efforts :D, here's another…so u can stay there.

Teakettle and Scone: Wow…thank you so much. I agree about the V/V pairing (the reason I wrote this). I'm so glad u like Vetinari…I had the same fears u did so I'm glad u thought him in character. Hope u like this Vimes chappie!

Girly: Glad u think my writing's good…and everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

The burberry 'whoops-a-daisy fire massacre: Ha-ha…I'm converting u! No, don't hit me with u're many ringed fingers… now where'd I put that strawberry.

Neverdidlikelotr: Sybil is in this chappie more…but read the reminder first. Glad u think its funny…but I hope that's funny ha-ha not funny weird!

Youneverknow: I've read small gods…oddly when I first read HP Snape reminded me of Vorbis! I'll think about a small gods fic…when I'm done with this.

Anna-Nicole: I'm really flattered u like my writing…even if not the content. To be honest, however I write Vetinari in this he will be slightly OOC, but I'm doing my best.

Belkassam: so glad u like it…as for Sybil she is in this chappie, and maybe she doesn't need to find out!

MaskedScissorDoll: thank you!

Sunny-historian: I feel the same about V/V, but I hope I can keep the goodness up! (go slash!) my AS's went well thanks, and look, I have continued!

Reija Linn: yes, the kiss was sudden but I needed it to happen so the rest of the story could. Glad u like description…that's what I'm good at!

Melecove: no, please don't, I'll continue! I warn you, there will be more cliff-hangers before I finish this mwahahahahah!!!!(cough)sorry.

Kola: no, please go on…you can say more…it will make me continue… ;)

This chapter is dedicated to all those to be changed in the Burberry 'oh dear god I'm a toad' disaster.

Disclaimer: if these characters were mine, do you think I'd be using them to write fan fiction?

Warning: There is slash in this story. If male/male freaks u out…don't read it!

Blah Vimes' thoughts

Chapter 4

Vimes stomped through the street of Ankh-Morpork, paying little attention to his surroundings. Normally this would make such a person an immediate target to the various less savoury denizens of the fetid city, but there was something in Vimes' stance, and the look in his eyes, that made even the licensed thieves shrink away to find safer targets.

Catshead

Cobbles

Roughstone

Paving

Vimes trusted his feet to take him back to the watch house (home), distractedly glad he had persuaded Sybil to stop gifting him with shoes. If she had, Vimes would never have reached his destination, his head so full of roiling thoughts no room was left for mundane things like direction.

'He ki…Vetinari ki…and I was…was I?'

With that 'thought' Vimes knew he was reaching what was really troubling him. Not so much that Vetinari had kissed him, though that would normally have been enough, but whether he had kissed back. Vimes scowled at the familiar site of the watch house looming before him. All he had to do was get past the all the highly skilled, observant watchmen that he himself had trained to notice anything out of the ordinary and reach his office. Then he could bury himself in paperwork (a literal comment with the state of his desk).

Colon sighed, looked around the almost empty room, and stretched. The chair he was sitting in and he froze, remembering a few weeks ago when…well in his defence it had been a very old chair, one that shouldn't been left where an unsuspecting person could actually sit on it. He saw Nobby directing a side-long smirk at him, and knew he wasn't the only one who remembered. To forestall the comment he knew was coming he turned towards Carrot.

"I think its clean now sir."

Carrot glanced up from his furious polishing.

"This armour is a symbol of…"

Colon sat back and let his attention drift. The slam of the door leading to the street brought him back just in time to catch;

"…so the least we can do is keep it clean."

Vimes strode through the door, his face set in a scowl so deep Colon wondered who the unlucky corpse…er person was. He held his breath until he heard the next slam, this time of the office door. Carrot got up from his desk. Nobby looked at him quizzically.

"Where are you going?"

"There's obviously something wrong. I'm sure any help we can give would be appreciated."

Colon and Nobby shared a meaningful look. Both also got up, Colon moving towards Carrot.

"May I speak freely sir?" he whispered.

"Of course"

"I know you outrank me but I do have experience with these situations and…"

"Go on"

"In this situation, the senior officer has a problem, and when the senior officer has a problem the rank…"

"Go on patrol." Nobby finished, putting on his helmet and heading for the door. Colon followed, looking meaningfully at Carrot who, after a last reluctant glance in the direction of the stairs, buckled on his gleaming breastplate and went after them.

Vimes let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding when he heard the sounds of their exit. He had known he could trust the self-preservation instincts of Colon and Nobby but Carrot was another matter. That boy was going to get himself into trouble one day…hell he already had. Vimes still shuddered when he remembered how close Carrot had come to arresting Vetin…the Patrician. Come to think of it, it was Colon who had saved the day then too. A half smile flitted across Vimes' lips.

Then faded as Vimes remembered why he needed to be alone. He turned what had happened over in his mind. Surely he could never have feelings for Vetinari…the man infuriated him, confused him, fascinated him…

Vimes froze at that last thought. But he knew it was true. Vetinari had always intrigued him, even if sometimes he thought he should save the nobles a favour and kill the man. Had those feelings changed along the line?

Vimes took out his notebook and a pencil.

'Whene dide mie feilings chaynge?' He wrote, before tearing of the page and flinging it towards the bin. He searched his memories, hoping for some instance that would help.

Vimes grunted, halfway up the wall. He could feel the cramp building in his shoulders from the effort of holding himself upright. He stole another glance at Vetinari as he sat reading, the picture of calm and composure.

Gods it was ridiculous. Here he was, halfway up a wall in a dank cell they might never get out of, and Vetinari was reading a book on…Vimes squinted…lace making.

Wiping the sweat from his eyes Vimes started again to chip away at the mortar. He could feel Vetinari's eyes on him, and wondered why that didn't bother him. Vimes wondered in exasperation when Vetinari would stop being smug and tell him what the other way out of the cell was. Whatever Vetinari thought of him, Vimes wasn't stupid enough to believe Vetinari would build a cell he couldn't get out of, even without secret passages.

He could just ask Vetinari, however embarrassing that would be, but he knew Vetinari would be happier revealing it in his own good time. A part of him wondered why he cared about Vetinari's happiness, but another more cynical part wrote it off as due to the fact Vetinari did pay his wages.

Anyway…Vimes raised his dagger again.

Vimes leant back, rubbing his eyes. This pointless recollection got him no closer to getting his thoughts in order. There was only one person he trusted enough to open his heart to.

It was time to go home.

tbc...go on, you know you want to review...surrender to your impulses!!!