Disclaimers: They belong to Sunrise, Bandai and various other wealthy corporations. Not being a wealthy corporation, I'm doing this for fun.

Note: Sorry this one took so long to post; it was a hideous chapter to write, and I think I could spend another month on it and still not be totally satisfied!

Many thanks to everyone who's been sending me such great reviews; I've always been too scared to post anything before, so I'd never realised what an interactive experience it is!

OK, this is a long note for me. On to the story….

Pizza Delivery:

Damn.

I really didn't feel like having to talk to Heero just then. Or any time in the next century or so.

Maybe if I kept quiet, he'd think I was asleep and just go away?

'Duo. Duo, are you awake?'

Well, I am now, you asshole. How d'you expect me to sleep with all this racket going on? Huh?

Heero was standing outside the door when I flung it open, holding a cordless 'phone in one hand, the other still raised to knock.

'I'm sorry to disturb you, Duo, but Wufei is insisting you call him as soon as possible. He says you're not answering your 'phone; I did try to tell him you were sleeping but he didn't believe me.'

Yes, well, my 'phone was switched off and downstairs in my jacket pocket. Oops. Fei had to be really worried if he'd actually dialled Heero's number. I guess looking at me, it was pretty obvious I hadn't slept.

'Fine. I'll call him now.'

'That might be a good idea. He threatened to call the police if he doesn't hear from you in the next ten minutes. He seems to think I have you chained in a dungeon. Come down when you're finished; I'm going to start breakfast.'

He headed back downstairs and I called 'Fei.

'Duo! What the hell is going on? Are you all right? Yuy was refusing to let me talk to you.'

'It's OK, Wu. Really. He was trying to help. Where are you guys?'

'Delhi International Airport. All flights have been cancelled due to fog. They're supposed to be resuming service in the next hour or so, but there's a massive backlog. We have a direct flight to Sanq and Relena's arranged for the Peacecraft lawyers to meet us at the Palace when we arrive.'

'That all sounds pretty official. You think they can get this - restraining order or whatever it is lifted?'

'They think so. Apparently, they've already spoken to Yuy, and confirmed that. And Duo. There's one other thing.'

'Am I going to want to hear whatever it is?'

'It's not too bad. Mil is going to petition the Sanque parliament for you to be granted Sanq citizenship...'

'Um, why exactly?'

'The lawyers recommended it. Apparently, it will entitle you to be tried as an Earth citizen. There are slightly different sets of laws for colonists; I don't really understand but apparently some colonies have slightly less stringent rules for having their citizens committed.'

'Charming. How long will that take?'

'Probably a couple of days, according to Mil. Don't worry; he can stay and take care of that and I'll fly to Italy as soon as I can.'

Oh, God. More delays.

'Where is his Highness anyway?'

'He's off trying to buy, borrow or steal a 'plane.'

'Be careful, OK?'

'Duo, I think we're both capable of dealing with a little poor visibility. Are you sure you're alright? Heero's looking after you?'

'I'm alright. I mean, he's got this really scary dog and I think he's trying to starve me to death but otherwise…' I'd sort of meant it as a joke, but it didn't work, as evinced by Wu's shocked 'How?'

'In the usual way, by not giving me any food.' Another quip that didn't quite make it.

'Look, I'm sure he's planning to give me breakfast soon. It's still really early here. And stop worrying about me. Please.'

'Oh, Duo….' Exasperated sigh, and what sounded like a few expletives in some oriental language. 'How can I not worry, the way things are at the moment? If I'd known that you were going to end up having to stay with Yuy, there's no way I would have let you go off with him.'

'We didn't really have much choice, did we?' My turn to sigh; I knew exactly what he wasn't quite saying. ''Fei, please. Seriously, what can happen in a couple of days?'

'I don't want you getting hurt again. That's all.'

'I don't want me getting hurt again, either. It's not going to happen, OK? We're not kids any more; that was all a long time ago. You know the saying about lightning never striking twice, right?'

'I'm glad to hear it. Duo, I'd better go before my credit runs out; listen, I've couriered your laptop and a other few things you forgot to the Sanque embassy. And you need to call Trowa as soon as you can.'

Oh.

'Did he tell you?'

'It's been pretty obvious. The way you kept running to check your emails and then grinning like the cat that got the cream. And I'm not sure I want to know how you two managed to get pizza smeared all over my car upholstery.'

'Do you mind?'

'Duo, anything that makes you happy is a good thing. I just think you should be careful...he probably still has some sort of feelings for Winner.'

'I know. We have talked about all that and we're just going to take things really slowly.'

'That's quite extraordinarily mature of you.' For the first time, there was a slight smile in his voice.

'Isn't it? See? You don't need to worry about me. I'll see you really soon, OK? Say hi to Zechs for me.'

Hanging up was hard; like I was deliberately shearing my last link with my normal life.

It's not like 'Fei and I live in each other's pockets, but I guess we'd been there for each other's dark times.

In some ways, we'd pretty much grown up together, learned to live the way normal people do, sharing an apartment, starting University together. He'd made sure I ate properly, forced me to attend even my most boring classes, the ones I could have taught while standing on my head, and tried to stop me getting into too much trouble. I'd dragged him out occasionally to dinner or the movies, signed us both up for the University rock-climbing and scuba-diving clubs and made him stay and be sociable when I invited people over.

He'd mopped me up whenever I stumbled home after another one-night-stand that hadn't worked, hungover and sore and miserable, and I'd listened to him after he'd left the Preventers and was desperately trying to find a new way to fill his life, helped him come to terms with the whole being gay thing, encouraged him to try dating.

It was weird having all this going on without him there. It was only for a couple of days. No big deal.

When I tried to call Trowa, I got his message service.

'Tro? It's me. Duo. I guess you're hanging off your trapeze by one finger or something like that so I - '

'Duo? Duo! I'm sorry, I was on another call.'

'Hey.' I know it was stupid, but I was suddenly not quite sure what to say. We'd talked at least once a day while I was in Goa, and it had been easy and relaxed and a bit flirty, but this was different somehow. My world was upside down.

'Hey yourself.' He seemed to be picking up on my little bit of unease, not rushing to fill the silence, while I propped a pillow by the headboard and curled up against it. 'Duo, there's a flight from here to Florence in another two hours. I could be with you by lunchtime. If you want me to?'

'Yes,' I breathed, realising as I said it how much I wanted him here. A warm, solid presence who cared about me, who would provide a convenient buffer between me and Heero. 'I would love that. It's just a bit…complicated right now with Heero.'

'Complicated how?' He demanded, sharp as a cracking whip.

'Uh, in a complicated sort of way,' I offered. He did laugh, but only because it was expected. 'Tro, I don't mean anything like that...he's obviously desperate to get me out of his house so he can go back to his nice, ordered life, without crazy ex-boyfriends infesting the place. When we were driving back to his house last night, he kept telling me I'd only have to stay for a day or so. Seriously, he doesn't want to me here any more than I want to be here.'

'It must be awkward,' he said carefully.

'It's - awkward as hell. . Just - he's been treating me like I could - I don't know! - have some sort of a breakdown at any minute...or just shatter into pieces if he looks at me crosswise. It's weird, Tro. Shit, maybe he actually believes all that stuff Quatre's accusing me of; he probably thinks I'd be actually better off in a psych ward where I can't get into any more trouble.'

'Of course he doesn't think that! Duo, I spoke to him last night and he knows what's going on with Quatre, that he's just doing it out of malice because I left him.'

'Oh. I hadn't realised you two were still in touch.' Oops, that was going to be something of a complication. I wasn't sure how I felt about Trowa being best buddies with Heero.

'We talk sometimes, Duo; that's all.'

'Don't you mean that you take turns to listen to each other's long silences?'

'We do exchange the occasional word, too.'

'Does he know about us?'

'I haven't said anything to him. Duo, I'm not quite sure why you have to stay with him.'

'Oh. I'm not a hundred per cent sure either,' I admitted. 'It's something to do with the judge - God, Tro, you never met such a prick. I'd bet anything he was a founder member of the Romfeller Foundation - thinking I might try to run off somewhere. Heero had to sign this guarantee that he'd personally take responsibility for me not legging it before the trial, or going out to corrupt all the young men of Florence.'

'I see. But it doesn't have to be Heero, personally, does it?'

'Shit, no. I think it can be anyone. Wufei and Zechs when they get here.'

'So it could be me?'

'Would you? That would be great, if you could!'

'Of course I will. This is all my fault anyway. If I hadn't come straight to you after leaving Quatre, none of this would have happened.'

'Don't be stupid, Tro. It's Quatre's fault. And I'm glad some of it happened.'

'Maybe you are crazy.'

'Fishing for compliments, Barton? It's worth it. You've worth it, OK? Don't worry about me. I can handle Heero.'

Ooops. Best not to think about handling Heero.

'If you need me, call. I don't have to stay at Heero's house.'

'I will. I swear. Look, give me a couple of days to get some of this mess sorted. Anyway, don't you have to perform for Spanish royalty in two days' time? I don't want you to give that up just to come here and hold my hand.'

'Even if I wanted to?'

'Ah.' To be honest, I wasn't quite sure how to take Tro when he went all suave and complimentary. 'Look, Tro, 'Fei's sent me my laptop by courier; can I call you later today and we can talk about this?'

I hung up before he could say anything else, before I could beg him to come after all, and spent a minute staring at the 'phone, willing him not to call back.

Stupid, Maxwell. Stupid.

I did….not need this. The next couple of days were going to be hard, and that was all there was to it; it was years since I'd spent more than ten or so minutes in Heero's company. And it wasn't going to help that Wufei and Trowa seemed to think I was going to end up falling for him all over again. No, thank you. If he hadn't wanted me then, it was unlikely he wanted me now.

I don't know quite how I'd envisaged Heero's home; maybe wall to wall computers with a sleeping bag folded neatly in one corner.

His kitchen was a fairly small galley-style room, with one huge window overlooking a sunny, overgrown courtyard. Pots of fresh herbs on the sill, a shelf packed with cookery books; a single sunflower in a narrow glass vase.

I was looking around obsessively just because the alternative was watching him. He was wearing a pair of jeans that had obviously been worn and washed often enough to have faded a bit, and were just a little bit snug in certain places, and a white T-shirt. His hair was even messier than usual from his shower, sticking up in all sorts of fascinating whorls and spirals.

And he looked - comfortable. Utterly relaxed in his own space.

He was making me pancakes. OK, they were obviously made with some sort of wholemeal flour and nuts and bran, and served with a fresh fruit puree rather than actual syrup but still.

Once upon a time, I would have sold my soul for a moment like this.

Instead, it was bloody damn awkward when he finally sat down at the table with me. He was clearly trying to act the perfect host and overdoing it just a bit - jumping up to get me more juice, a new napkin, a bowl of yoghurt, while I sat there like a good little guest, praising the food politely and concentrating on my table manners, cutting every piece to the exact same size before I ate.

It didn't help that Honey was sitting immobile by his chair, glaring at me; I don't know if Heero had actually been teaching her his repertoire of death glares, or whether she'd picked them up on her own, but the end result was the same.

Even his damn dog hated me.

OK, that was stupid. She was just a dog. Heero had said that she'd come from some sort of animal shelter so she'd probably been badly treated. Of course she didn't hate me, she'd just had a rough life. She'd probably hopedto be adoptedby a nice, normal familywith kids, and she'd got Heero instead.

So when Heero got up to make tea, I reached out one hand to her, offering a piece of pancake. I hadn't really expected her to come over, definitely hadn't realised how big she was close up, or how each of her shiny white teeth looked like it had been specially sharpened and polished.

I'd forgotten how fast Heero can move when he wants. He was just - suddenly there crouched over me, and I was on the floor, having jerked my chair backwards abruptly enough to knock it over. Seeing a whole galaxy of stars because I'd whacked my head off the floor tiles.

'Duo! You're bleeding...'

'No, I'm not.' I waggled my hand on him, showing that the skin was all intact. Fingers and thumb ditto. OK, maybe I'd overreacted just tiny bit, but I'd been convinced she was about to bite my hand off, or maybe just shear my arm off at the elbow.

'Not that. Your leg!' He was staring at me like he'd never seen blood before. 'She drew blood, Duo. And you hit your head, hard; you could have a concussion.'

'Of course I don't have concussion! And your dog didn't actually bite me; I hurt my leg the other day and I banged it off the chair. Look!'

I rolled up my pants leg, and couldn't help wincing myself. The stitches were intact but one long shallow cut had started to bleed. I'd almost forgotten about my leg; after twenty four hours or so the ache was almost a familiar thing.

'It just needs some antiseptic or something, alright? I have antibiotics and painkillers.' True enough; wasn't going to say I hadn't been taking said painkillers. They'd been making me drowsy and I preferred alertness even if it came at the price of a little pain.

'Look. I am fine, alright. I don't have concussion, I'm not going to bleed to death over your nice floor, your dog just … scared me a little bit but I'm fine.'

Wasn't this turning out to be a bitch of a day? It wasn't even eight o'clock yet, and it seemed like I'd been having tense conversations for hours.

Reassure concerned friend that I am safe, and coping all by myself, and am not being held against my will by my ex-boyfriend..

Reassure concerned boyfriend (or whatever Trowa wanted to be) that I am safe and coping all by myself, and that neither myself nor my ex is planning on leaping on each other.

Reassure aforementioned ex that I am not suffering from concussion, or from massive blood loss, or about to develop some horrific blood disease, and therefore do not need to be whisked off to Intensive Care.

'I'm really sorry, Duo. I'll arrange for a friend to keep Honey while you're here; I hadn't realised you were nervous around dogs.'

Well, he didn't know everything, did he?

The thing I had no intention of telling Heero was that they'd had dogs exactly like Honey on L2. Shopkeepers used them for guarding, kids used them for dog-fighting. And when property developers wanted to clear squatters out of a slum building, they'd send in dogs just like Honey. I have some seriously scary shit locked away in my mind. It's never pleasant when it surfaces.

And I was probably just being a bit on the sensitive side, but it sounded like his voice was tinged with reproach. Chalk up yet another failing of Duo Maxwell; yet another reason why I would never be good enough for him.

'No, that won't be necessary. She didn't do anything wrong; she shouldn't have to be sent away from her home.'

God, bloody Heero was still hovering over me; all I really wanted to do was to have a few minutes to myself, lying down, but that obviously wasn't going to happen.

Instead, I forced myself vertical, sat back down on the chair and did the deep breathing bit. Heero got his first aid kit and I cleaned up the cut and put a dressing on it.

'I think we need to talk.' Before I end up going totally insane. Maybe that was Quatre's master plan after all; force me to spend time with Heero and I'd be bound to something stupid eventually. But he couldn't have known I'd end up staying here, surely.

A nod.

'I spoke to Wufei. You know about this Sanque thing, right? Is it really necessary?'

'It's more of a precaution. Just in case...'

'I do happen to know what a precaution is! Question two - what happens next? Wil there be a trial or what?'

'Not straightaway, no. First, there will a preliminary hearing to which will aim to evaluate...'

'My sanity? Wonderful. Who's going to be doing that? 'Cause if it's that Judge from yesterday, I'm seriously screwed.'

He gave me a very slight smile. 'No, it will be a panel of medical and legal professionals. Their conclusions will determine whether or not there will actually be a trial.'

'Right. And when will this take place?'

'Probably some time next week. They'll ask you to fill in a basic questionnaire first, to give them some background, and decide who is best suited to conduct the assessment.'

Oh, joy. Wouldn't that be fun? I could just imagine what sort of lovely probing questions I'd have to answer.

'OK. So there might be no trial at all? If I can prove I'm sane?'

'I would be highly surprised if there were to be a trial. You don't have an outstanding criminal record, you have a university education and a highly responsible career. The only reason it's come this far is because of Quatre Winner's connections. The panel here may not approve of your .. lifestyle, but nothing about it is illegal.'

A couple of little puzzle pieces suddenly slotted into each other. Someone else obviously wasn't approving of my lifestyle either. Well, tough. I'd spent a year of my life trying to conform to Heero Yuy's ideas of how I should conduct my life. Didn't have to do that any more.

'So there isn't really much point to all of this?' He lifted an eyebrow at that. 'I mean, this is all very annoying and disruptive and everything but...it's more inconvenient than anything.'

'Duo, I would describe it as considerably more than that!' Ouch. Well, at least I knew now how he felt about having me in his house. Not that it was really much of a surprise. 'Apart from anything else, I imagine there will be a certain amount of publicity.'

'Yeah.' I'm not exactly saying I would go into full mourning if every tabloid gossip columnist in the world were to spontaneously combust tomorrow, but I don't really have Heero's phobia about media attention; I think sometimes he still half believes he's a wanted terrorist and that no one should know what he looks like.

'It just all seems a little bit senseless, that's all. I mean, we're talking about Quatre Winner here. If he really wanted to destroy my life, he could have me assassinated, or frame me for mass murder or something really bad. This is just like he's...playing with me.'

That was the really scary thing; that all this was just the - start of it.

'Duo, was there anything else? Because I have a conference call at eight thirty.'

'One question. This - bond or whatever it is you signed, can anyone take over that?'

'Not anyone, no. It has to be someone who is a resident of the city, a landowner, and who is employed here. You don't have to worry, Duo. I know the Peacecrafts own property here.'

'Zechs doesn't live here though. Or have a job.'

'The courts will probably waive that condition for Prince Milliardo Peacecraft. And he doesn't have a paying job, but I know he is on the boards of several charities and the art gallery.'

'He prefers to be called Zechs,' I muttered. Sexy Zechsy. I'd insisted on calling him that back when we'd first got to know him, and it had driven Wu mad. I think that was one of the reasons why he'd starting calling him Mil instead.

Damn, though. That meant that I couldn't have Trowa take over as official Duo-minder in-chief. That I was stuck with Heero until the guys arrived.

'Oh, there was one other thing. What's plan B? I heard you saying something about it on the 'phone yesterday.'

Heero ignored me for a minute, instead placing bandages and ointment very carefully back into his medical kit. Then he looked at me, properly, for the first time that morning, actually meeting my eyes and I realised that he was tired too. He'd spent two days trying to trace me, he'd said, and probably another two on various flights. It hadn't sounded like he'd slept much the previous night either.

'Duo. There was no way I was letting you go to prison yesterday. Whatever happened.'

Oh. What do you say to something like that? I was just about to formulate something brilliant on the lines of 'what the fuck?' when the doorbell rang. Honey, who had been lying under the table, catapulted out, barking her head off.

When Heero came back, he had a leaning tower of pizza boxes in his arms.

'Delivery for you, Duo. There's a note as well.'

'Dear Duo,

We don't want you to starve just because H. won't feed you!

Love you,

W & Z.

PS - See you soon!

PPS - I'm sure it'll be boring having to eat pizza without Trowa there, but use your imagination!'

'It's from the guys' I explained to Heero, who was looking slightly overcome at his house turning into a pizza parlour. 'They're incredible, those two. They - know I really like pizza. Those two are incredible.'

'I hope they know how fortunate they are... '

Now, that was an odd little out-of-the-blue comment, but I guess Wu and Zechs do have pretty much everything.

'I'm sure they do.'

'Duo, I need to take a call in my study. Feel free to make yourself at home. I shouldn't be more than an hour or so.'

Take your time. Take all day if you want to.

No, I didn't say that out loud.

The rest of Heero's ground floor was open plan; a surprisingly comfortable blend of sitting room and library. Lots of books and plants and some squishy armchairs. There was some Japanese artwork on the walls, and a couple of samurai swords, but the only photograph was the one I keep by my bed at home, the five of us together, back when we'd all been friends.

I'd been desperately in love with Heero at the time, hadn't been quite sure how he felt about me, had spent hours discussing it with Quatre. Back when he was my best friend.