A/N: Reviewers, thank you for sticking with this! But also, apologies for this sort of filler chapter. (I'll make up for the length with the next one, I swear.)

Chapter title is from the Pixies song 'Hey.'

FIVE

Must Be a Devil Between Us

Oh, you've gotta be joking with me… Howard felt his insides lurch forward in a nausea-inspiring movement as he stepped past the threshold of their bedroom. Leroy was there, sitting on the couch with Naboo and Bollo.

"I don't know what happened, honest," he was saying to them. "I left him alone for a while, and then he disappeared. I figured he'd got lucky an' pulled, so I didn't think anythin' of it. Is he alright?"

"He's fine, thanks," Howard interjected, stepping fully into the living room. "He needs to rest up, so you'd best come back later."

Leroy ignored the second half of this statement and consulted Naboo. "D'ya think I could go in an' talk to him?"

No, no, no… Naboo, if you can read minds, this would be the best possible time for you to use that power…

"Yeah, I don't see why not. But if he's sleepin', you'll have to listen to Howard and come back later."

"Alright. Cheers, Naboo!"

Maybe Howard was being paranoid, but he could've sworn he saw Leroy challengingly narrow his eyes at him as he strode into their bedroom.

"So. Vexxia rang me, told me what happened. You feel any better?" Leroy was sitting beside Vince on his bed; the latter seemed shut down and huddled into himself, but the former pretended not to notice.

"Vexxia?" Vince asked. "Who's Vexxia?"

"The club owner!"

"Oh," Vince winced at the memory. "Right."

"She wanted me to apologize on her behalf," continued Leroy volubly. "I told you she was a bit crazy. She can get like that from time to time, but you had to expect that with someone like her, right?"

"I expected her to be a bit off; I didn't expect her to attack me and smash my head against the shower!"

"Look, she's sorry about that, alright? She can't control herself when she's coked up; it ain't her fault."

"Yeah," Vince said. "It's mine. I shouldn't have gone out last night."

"What? C'mon, Noir! What happened to our breakthrough?"

Vince looked down at his lap, embarrassed by the remembrance. "Howard says you're a bad influence on me," he blurted out.

Leroy laughed. "Oh, really now? And what'd you say to that?"

"That he'd gone wrong. That I ain't his kid."

"Good reply."

"Leroy," Vince started, "I don't think I can do this. Howard's so good to me, and it kills me to keep hurting him. Ain't there a better way of gettin' over him?"

"What else could you do?" he returned, in a lawyer-like fashion. "You live and work with the man. There's no other type of distance you can have." When Vince sighed gloomily, Leroy was suddenly stricken with an idea. "How would you like to have a date tonight?"

"Leroy, you're a great guy an' all, but-"

"Not with me, you berk! With a girl."

"Oh… well, that does change things. But no! I mean... even if I wanted to, look at me. I'm a mess; this ain't a way to impress someone! I'm in a right state."

Leroy smiled impishly. "What if it's a girl you already know?"

Vince tried to rack his brain for any idea as to whom Leroy might've been referring, but failed miserably. "Who?" he finally asked.

"Leave that to me."

"I dunno…"

Leroy placed an arm around Vince's shoulders and dragged him into a boyish half-embrace. "Trust me on this. After tonight, everything'll change."

As usual, Leroy's intuition was second to none.