Disclaimer: Nope, Still don't own them. Still doing it just for the fun….

Many, many thanks to everyone who's reviewed, especially Snow, for starting the review ball rolling, and K.S. You two have definitely inspired me to keep on posting…

Dawn Chorus:

'So you couldn't sleep either?' That was Wufei, coming into the kitchen at five the next morning. 'You haven't been up all night, have you?'

'Not exactly. And I wanted to get these designs ready for Mitch.' I was ensconced at the table again, design printouts strewn everywhere; report just ready to be sent off, complete with all the attachments he'd asked for, along with some more reassurance that I honestly hadn't been stealing top-secret information from the military. I pressed the Send button and grinned up at him. 'I do occasionally have to earn the insane amounts of money he pays me, you know.' I tilted my chair back, stretching and grimaced as every muscle in my body issued a strongly worded complaint. It's not really a good idea to sit in a hard, upright chair for hours.

'Any chance of a backrub? Pretty please?'

'You're tense, you know that?'

'Mmm' I murmured. I didn't really care at the moment, not with Wufei's talented hands making all the nerves in my shoulders sing a happy chorus.

'You're still thinking about the other night?'

'Um, sort of...' Those miraculous fingers stilled; a subtle threat to keep talking, then squeezed gently.

'Zechs is still asleep upstairs, Duo.' No doubt under strict orders not to come down, until his boyfriend had had a chance to talk to me privately.

'It's not so much what happened with Ben. It's - the way everyone else is reacting. It's like you all think I'm some damsel in distress who constantly needs to be rescued.'

'We just worry about you, Duo. There's nothing wrong with admitting you had an … unpleasant experience, and there's nothing wrong with you needing us.'

'I know, I know that, but it just seems to imply that you think I'm not capable.'

'Not true; you do remember, don't you, when Zechs and I first started dating? Every time you saw him, you took him aside and told him very explicitly what you'd do to him, if he ever hurt me. Was that because you thought I couldn't stand up for myself?'

'No! Of course, it wasn't, it was just...you know?'

'I know. And I care about you too.'

Neither of us spoke for a while after that - well, I was trying not to moan too ecstatically as his fingers danced over my skin. That sort of thing can be misinterpreted, and we had a houseguest to consider now.

'Wu, when I was driving back from Steel the other night, I had a teeny bit of a panic attack.' Oh, shit. Where had that come from? Hadn't meant to say that. Not out loud. This is the problem with total bliss; my brain shuts down and my mouth has carte blanche to say whatever it pleases.

There was one of those silences that stretch out like elastic at that point; you know they can only go so far before there's an almighty snap.

'Duo, what exactly did Ben say to you?'

'I told you. Pretty much. And you can imagine the rest for yourself.'

'Oh, Duo,' I was suddenly enveloped in a fierce hug. 'Zechs was right. We should hunt the scumbag down and hurt him. How bad was your episode?'

'Not very. Not really. I came out of it by myself and drove home. You know that. I don't want to make a big deal out of it, Wu. Please?'

'All right. Just - maybe it's best if you don't drive alone for a while. And you're to tell Dr. Rabinowitz at your next session, OK?'

'Whatever.'

'Duo!'

'Fine! I'll tell him. I swear. You happy now?'

'Hungry. I think it's breakfast time. How does leftover banana pudding sound? I could make some custard to go with it, if you'd like.'

'Oh, I'd like. Very much.'

Food preparation generally works better if I play an non-active part, so I set out the plates and poured juice and divided the pudding into two more or less equal portions. I didn't mind sharing with Wu, but no way was Zechs getting any.

'Do you want to talk about Quatre now?'

Ouch. That's Chang Wufei for you; bypassing the jugular as a soft option and aiming straight for major organs. Waiting until I was wallowing in custard-flavoured heaven. 'I assume all those phone calls were from him?'

There'd actually been a total of seven calls during the night, each at an interval of an hour or so, the first three virtual repeats of the message we'd listened to during dinner.

Short, very polite, a little distant, a little diffident. Giving nothing away, except that he and Trowa had had a 'misunderstanding', that Trowa had gone off alone without informing anyone, and that Quat was anxious to contact him, but not desperately so. And that he was very sorry for whatever he'd done.

The latest message had been the hardest not to answer, and I replayed it for Wufei while he boiled the kettle for tea.

'Duo, I don't know why you're not answering, but please, please pick up the 'phone if you're there. I'm really, really scared that something's happened to Trowa - Duo, he hasn't been himself lately, we haven't been getting on, and now I'm terrified that he's - that he might have done something stupid. He left the house somehow without telling anyone; he didn't bring his wallet or his ID, so he can't have actually gone anywhere, but he hasn't been in touch and I've had people searching all night and he just - he just seems to have vanished. I thought he might try to contact you and if he does - Duo, please, I just need to know if he's all right. I care about him, whatever he thinks right now, whatever he tells you I've done. I'm so sorry - Oh, Allah, Duo, you know what it's like to lose someone; I was with you after Heero left, remember? I know what you went through. That's how I'm feeling now. I can make this right with Trowa; I know I can, but I have to talk to him. We're friends, aren't we? You always say you're my best friend and I really, really need your help now.'

The last bit was hard to make out, partly a bit of static on the line, mostly the fact that he was crying. Before going off to bed, Wufei had reiterated that Trowa did not, repeat NOT, want to talk to Quatre, and made me promise not to pick up any of his calls.

'Wu, I have to call him. I know what Trowa said, and I swear I won't give him away, but I have to let Quat know he's OK.'

'You'll do no such thing.' Wufei handed me a cup of tea and sat across from me. 'When Trowa wakes up, he can decide if he wants to talk to Quatre, but we are not going to interfere.'

'For God's sake, Wufei, that's cruel! Quat's frantic. You heard how he sounded in that last message. Try to imagine how you'd feel if Zechs just disappeared.'

'If Zechs ever treated me the way Quatre treats Trowa, I'd make him disappear. And you'd help me.'

'But he's sorry. You heard what he said.' Sure, Quatre had screwed up, but he was trying to make amends. Trowa was the one who'd walked out.

'Duo.' Wufei put his cup down and gave me one of those penetrating looks. 'Trowa is here as our friend and our guest and we are not going to betray his trust, simply because Quatre Winner is a very skilled manipulator. Understood? And you are not, personally, responsible for his happiness, whatever you seem to think.'

Wham.

'I don't think that,' I muttered. 'I just don't want to lose any more of you guys.'