Kandice: Back again. And since Kassidy's not here, I've decided to hold open auditons for new commentors to help me open and close my stories. Today, we're going to try Quatre. Since I love him so much.

Quatre: Thank you.

Kandice: Alright... so standard opening, kay? I own nothing but dust bunnies... and you are welcome to sue me for those.

Quatre: Why would someone want to sue you for dust bunnies?

Kandice: It's a joke, Quatre. It means that I own nothing, so if they sue me... they get, well, nothing.

Quatre: Okay then. Mind if we get to the story, now? I'm sort of eager to see how well I handle having Trowa kiss me.

Kandice: (she raises her eyebrow) Only in fanfiction can that line not sound weird. So... on with the show...

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Ties That Bind

Duo looked up at the veritable mansion. It was disgustingly... large and pretentious. Growing up in an orphanage, Duo hated it when wealthy people felt they had to flaunt their money. And it seemed that the Kushrenada's did just that.

"I already don't like this guy," Duo muttered to Heero. Heero merely nodded and knocked on the door. A moment later the door opened on a small, brown-skinned, dark haired girl, obviously a maid from her clothing.

Duo held up his badge. "Detectives Yuy and Maxwell, Sanq Police Department. We're here to speak with Mr. Treize Kushrenada."

"Si," the girl dipped a curtsy. "Uno momento, senor." She then closed the door in their faces.

"Charming girl, neh?" Duo asked his partner.

"Hn," was the only response. It was always the only response.

Another minute and the door opened again, this time on a different lady. She was well into her thirties, if not forties, but her hair was just past shoulder length and a glittery champagne blond-brown color with no hint of gray.

"Hello," she smiled. "I apologize for Lupita. She is new and still learning the ways," she waved a hand and opened the door. "Please, come in. I am Annika. My husband is finishing up a very important phone call. Investors, you see."

"Of course," Duo said charmingly. "My name is Detective Maxwell. This is my partner, Detective Yuy. We just need to have a small chat with your husband."

While his partner did his usual thing of charming their suspect- or suspects wife, in this case- Heero observed his surroundings. Duo's assessment had been correct. These people were horribly wealthy and had no problem showing it. The place was a veritable museum of artifacts, but no family portraits or any of the paraphernalia that littered Relena's parents home. The Darlians were wealthy, but had a sense of pride and decorum about it. Not like this.

He and Duo were shown to a small sitting area, where Annika talked while they waited for her husband. Not long later, a tall man with ginger hair stepped into the room.

"Annika, my dear. Thank you for showing my guests in. I believe you have the guest list for next month's party to finish, don't you?"

She smiled at him. "But of course, darling. I'll have Lupita bring tea, if that will be acceptable?"

Duo and Heero nodded after Kushrenada's smile.

"So, Detectives," the man settled onto a chair opposite them. "What can I help you with?"

"Do you know the whereabouts of your daughter, Marimaia Elizabeth Kushrenada?" Heero asked without pause.

To his credit, the man didn't even blink. "No. She ran away when she was fifteen. I haven't seen or heard from her since. That was several years ago, you see. Is she in trouble?"

"When she ran away, why didn't you report her missing," Duo leaned forward.

"She'd already done it several times before that. My daughter never accepted the life she was born to. She decided to hang around with a... questionable crowd." The man sneered over the word. "I finally accepted the fact that she simply didn't wish to be apart of this family. She never got along with Annika, you understand? Didn't want to accept that I had remarried. Problem child, my parents called her."

"Would you call her a problem child?" Duo questioned.

A shoulder lifted elegantly. "Maia was... eccentric, quite like her mother in many ways, God rest her soul. Nothing I tried worked, so... why chain her here? I let her go. Now, you've never answered my question, detectives," he leaned forward as Lupita dropped off a tray of tea and was shooed away by a flick of Kushrenada's hand.

"Is Maia in trouble?"

Heero and Duo exchanged a glance. Their method of talking wasn't as paranormal as Trowa and Quatre's. They spoke with their eyes, with knowledge gleaned from years of working together.

"Your daughter, Mr. Kushrenada," Duo said calmly, "Is dead."

Heero watched closely as Treize Kushrenada blinked once, then twice.

"Pardon? Did... did you say dead?"

Duo nodded. "We have a positive ID on a fairly old case. We have identified this girl," he slid across a picture- one of the less graphic pictures- to the older man, "as Marimaia Kushrenada."

Kushrenada nodded. "That... that's Maia. That's her mother's mirror," he pointed to the small silver mirror laid beside the various other contents of her purse, spread beside her. "That's my daughter," his voice was thick, choked.

Heero gazed at him, assessing the reaction, storing his conclusions for later.

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"He killed her," Duo growled over an hour later, when they were back in the car. "I'm fairly certain of it."

"I agree," Heero nodded. "Now... how do we go about proving it?"

Duo thought for a moment. "I think we need to see our lovable empath again. What do you think?"

Heero nodded once more. "Affirmative."

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Quatre rolled over, waking up for the umpteenth time that night from a very vivid dream. A very unsettling dream where Trowa did alot more than kiss him. It was barely three in the morning, two days after Trowa'd kissed him and ran away... and ignored all of Quatre's calls.

He wasn't really sure what he felt. Oh, sure. The kiss had been enjoyable... it had been downright amazing, really. But the simple fact of the matter was... Quatre was straight.

He just couldn't help it if Trowa had a naturally graceful way of walking. It wasn't his fault that Trowa's voice was so husky it sent shivers down his spine just thinking of it. Was he to be blamed if the thought of actually kissing Trowa again- or making his dreams a reality- didn't shock or disgust him?

Yes, his mind answered dryly. And did that make him gay... or bi? Even more important than that... did he want to pursue a relationship of a more intimate nature with Trowa? He'd been in a few serious relationships, and had sex on more than one occasion. But he'd only ever actually *loved* one person. Sei Lovecraft... the first person he'd ever bedded... had been sweet and kind and funny and charming and intelligent and beautiful and humble and... Sei had been everything. Sei *was* everything. It didn't matter that she didn't love him like that. It didn't matter that she'd moved on, found someone new. It didn't matter that she was now happily married with twin girls on the way. They were first and foremost friends. And that had made their relationship all the more special, that deep friendship that could outlast anything.

He had believed that he and Trowa had the makings of that kind of friendship. A special bond. Could that bond outlast it if an attempt at a relationship failed?

Quatre rolled once again, trying to fall back asleep, to will away all these thoughts. And then the doorbell rang. Quatre groaned. Who would be at his door at three in the morning? He slid out of bed. Dorothy was long since back home. Could it be Trowa?

He hurried to the door and pulled it open.

There, standing on his doorstep, short cropped black hair mussed, eyes dark and weary, face set in a scowl, but betraying relief and worry, was Lucrezia Noin.

"Noin?"

"Quatre," she snapped. "I want to know what the hell you're doing... and I want to know now! I don't appreciate seeing my friends die in front of my eyes!"

tbc...

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Kandice: Mwahaha. Evil, aren't I? But you love it. Poor Quatre. Dealing with an angry Noin is never easy.

Quatre: I don't know if I like you anymore. You're mean to me.

Kandice: Not really. It's just the story. And I fix everything, I promise. I don't do 'Sad Ever After'. I do 'Happy Ever After'.

Quatre: Well then hurry up and start the next chapter... I'm eager to see what happens.

Kandice: Sure. Just as soon as all my loving, adorable fans review for me!