Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Murder and a Music Box ❯ The Company She Keeps ( Chapter 8 )

Author's Notes: Hooray for more reviews! Thanks to Sailor Firestar. Heero is so cute when he's sweet. Have fun on your trip! Thanks to Duo Maxwell Esquire. I'm so happy to have enslaved you. Mwahahah! And finally, thanks to Cewo, I'm glad you like my couplings. I really love 4x2 and 3x2 : )

Sorry this chapter took so long to post. I actually had it done on Monday, but my beta reader was out of town, so you can blame her. I'll try to get the next one up much sooner. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Duh, I don't own Gundam Wing. If I did I would have a lot more money.

Warning: In this chappy there is some bad language, but only a couple times. Shonen ai, but if you're reading this fic you already know that. I guess I should mention there is a little 2x4, he wishes, 4x1, maybe a little 3x2? Man, Duo gets a lot of action. Oh, and past Rx5xR.


The Company She Keeps

The next day I waited until after four and made my third trip out to the Winner Estate. I wasn't looking forward to it, but hey I had a feeling it was gonna be awkward. I put on a suit and tie to try and at least look professional. I figured it might rub off and make me act professional too.

Well, I walked up to the door and rang the bell. This time I think we both were surprised. Me, because I didn't expect him to answer the door, and him because he didn't expect me to be there.

"Trowa?" I said and stared at him for a moment.

"Duo? Actually doing some work?" he said and smiled. "Quatre's in the bathroom. Come on in."

I walked in and glared at him. "How come you're here, Barton?"

"I had a couple of things I needed to go over with him. What happened Duo?" he asked seriously.

"I was questioning someone and it didn't go well," I said and rubbed my fat lip. Man, of all the people who saw me like that Trowa had to be one of them.

"Who did it?" he asked and motioned for me to come further into the house.

"Cobra," I said and followed him. "Ever heard of him?"

"Actually, I have but just in passing. He's supposed to be pretty vicious. You're lucky he didn't kill you, Duo, from what I've heard. You really shouldn't have gone to see him alone. You should've called me," he said and walked into the same living room Quatre lead me into the last time I was there. Trowa's visible eye was watching me, and it looked concerned.

"Get off my back, Barton. I really don't need a lecture right now," I said and pouted. Damn Trowa. He has this way of making me feel like a guilty child, like I shouldn't do anything to disappoint him.

"I'm sorry," he said and rubbed a long slender hand down my shoulder. "I just don't want you getting hurt. You know I worry about you,"

Well, I looked up at him and smiled. I couldn't help it, and he was taller than I am so I had to look up. "So what kinda lead are you working on?" I asked quickly to change the subject and moved away from him.

"Same old. We think it's some kind of burglary ring or something. We just need to find out who is running it," he said and took a seat on the couch. It was amazing how quickly he went from friend Trowa into cop Trowa.

"Maybe you should talk to Wu Fei Chang. I think he knows something, but he's hiding it," I said.

"Great, I'll call to get the info from you."

"Duo," Quatre said and startled me as he walked in the room. "I thought I heard the doorbell ring."

I just sat there and stared at him for a moment. My stupid imagination providing a number of obscene pictures of Heero and him in intimate positions. "I wanted to bring you this," I finally managed and held out the music box.

I swear Quatre's eyes lit up. "You found it? Where?" he asked and gently took it from me.

"An antique shop downtown," I said and smiled. "It was just sittin' in the window."

"Thank you so much," he said and stared at the box.

"Just doing my job."

"Is there anything else you wanted to ask me, Detective Barton?" Quatre asked.

"Yes, just one thing," Trowa said and pulled a picture out of a folder that was setting on the coffee table. "Have you ever seen this woman before?"

I glanced at the picture too. She was a slender woman with very long blonde hair and really dark crazy eyebrows. She was dressed in a black pants suit, and she had this air of power around her, even in the picture. But I had no clue who she was at the time.

Quatre studied the picture too. Trowa was watching him intently with that calm look on his face. "No," Quatre finally answered, "who is she?"

"Hmm," Trowa hummed still watching him. "Her name is Dorothy Catalonia. The FBI have been trying to nail her for years for various illegal activities."

"Do you think she's involved, Detective?" Quatre asked innocently, but Trowa wasn't buying it. I could tell from the look on his face. At the time I really didn't know what to think. I was steadily losing my trust in the kid, but still there was something about him.

"Maybe," Trowa said and pulled the picture back and put it in the folder. "I'll get going. See you later, Duo," he said and nodded at me and then headed for the exit. Quatre followed to show him out.

He came back a few minutes later and smiled at me. "Duo, I can't thank you enough for this. I never thought I'd see it again."

I smiled back at him. "Like I said it's my job."

He picked up the music box again and examined it like he was trying to see if it was damaged. "And it was just sitting in an antique shop's window? How funny," he said and opened it. I watched him fiddle around inside it for a while and the smile that had been brightening his face briefly disappeared.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"No," he said smiling again. "Everything is fine."

I thought about confronting him with the whole Heero thing, but it just didn't seem like the right time. Plus, it really wasn't any of my business what he or Heero did in there spare time. I was just there to solve a case, that was all.

"Well, that's all I came to give you," I said. "I've been working on a good lead so hopefully I'll get a breakthrough soon."

Quatre nodded again and kept smiling. "Then have a good day, Duo," he said and walked me to the door.

"You too," I said and walked to my car.

I drove back to the office after that, and when I got there guess who was sitting on my step with a bag and two drinks? It was the great detective Trowa Barton.

"You giving me a visit, Trowa? What's up?" I asked and unlocked the door.

"I came to repay you for the bagels," he said and smiled. "You haven't already eaten dinner have you?"

"No," I said and walked over to my desk and sat down. He did the same and put the bag on my desk. It was from Fatburger. That guy sure surprises me sometimes with the stuff he remembers.

He pulled out the two burgers and handed me one of the drinks. "You still like Dr. Pepper, right?"

"Yeah," I said and took a sip. "Thanks, you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to," he said and took a bit out of his burger. I think most people would be amazed at how wide Trowa can actually open his mouth. Normally, his lips look pouty but without much width. He can really surprise you in that way, like when he takes a huge bite out of a Fatburger and gets mustard on his cheek.

I handed him a napkin, and he wiped the mustard off. "So, you came to get the info on Chang?"

"Yeah, and to have dinner with you," he said and took a sip of his drink. It was probably a Sprite.

"So whatdaya think about the kid?"

"I think he's hiding something," he said and took another bite of his food.

I just nodded and took another bite as well. "Do you think he's attractive though?"

Trowa smiled. "Yes, Duo. I think he's attractive, but I'm not attracted to him. Why, are you?"

"No," I lied. "I was just wondering if you were. Plus, he already has a boyfriend."

Trowa laughed at that. "The great detective Maxwell and his search for a man. So, how did you find that out?"

Well, first I glared at him because I wasn't really searching for a man. Then I answered him. I guess it was kinda mean, but I was getting annoyed with him at the time. "Well, I slept with his boyfriend."

"Oh," was all he said and he looked at me for a moment. Then his eyes wandered away and began to look around my office.

He was doing that thing again like I should feel bad because he was disappointed in me. But it was my life, and I was drunk at the time. Ahh, maybe it wasn't him doing it and it was me all along. I don't know. I just finished my burger in silence and watched him eye my little office.

"So, how's Ignatius?" he finally asked, and I was very happy he broke the silence.

"He's great. Comes to work with me everyday," I said and pulled Ignatius out of his glass box. Then I got some carrots out of my mini fridge and started feeding him.

"I remember when you got him, Duo," Trowa said and finally looked at me again. "He's grown."

"Yeah," I said and smiled back. That had been a long time ago. "So, how are the cats?"

"They're great," he said. "So how about that info on this Chang guy?"

I nodded and wrote down the information for him. "Feels like old times, huh?" I asked and handed him the paper.

"Not really, Duo. But then how can it? Things change."

"Yeah, you're right," I said and watched him stand up.

"I'll see you around," he said and picked up the trash from our dinner together, then left me sitting alone in my office. And man, did I feel alone.

* * *

The next day I didn't feel any better than I had after Trowa left. I moped around my apartment for a while and even played a game of Jenga with Ignatius, but I still felt shitty. And it wasn't because I lost. Again. So, after that I decided work would be the best thing to get the loneliness off of my mind, and I went to the office.

I knew I needed to find out who Cobra was considering that was my only real lead at the moment. But who did I know that knew who he was? Well, Chang was off the list because I really didn't think he would tell me, even though I figured he knew. The only other person that popped into my head was Heero. After all, he worked at The Blue Angel. It was very possible that he knew something.

So, I decided to pay the musician a visit. I went over to his apartment a little after noon. Being me, I rang the door bell. He smiled when he answered even though he looked like he'd been sleeping, his hair was a little wilder than usual.

"Duo, I really didn't expect to see you. Come in," he said and stepped back from the doorway.

"Thanks," I said and walked in. "I'm actually just here to ask you a few questions."

He nodded and yawned. "Have you had lunch yet? I was about to make something."

"No," I said simply and sat down at his kitchen table. I really wasn't in the mood for a big conversation at the moment.

"Great. Do you like grilled cheese and tomato soup?" he asked and held out a can.

"Yeah, that'd be fine."

He made the sandwiches and soup in silence, and I put my head on my hands and watched him. He was a very good looking man, in case you forgot or I just haven't said so enough. When he finally set down the food and a glass of water in front of me and took his seat, I was beginning to realize how hungry I was.

"So, what's wrong?" he asked as he took a bite of his food.

"Huh?" I said and looked up from my soup. I really hadn't been expecting that.

"Well, are you a bit lonely?" he asked and took another bite.

"I'm not here to fuck you, Heero. I just wanted to ask you some questions."

He gave a small laugh at that. "I know, you already said. I was just wondering because you look more depressed than usual."

"I'm not depressed. I just saw an old friend last night and he made me realize some stuff." Okay, I really didn't know what I was talking about. But I guess Trowa did make me realize how alone I was.

"An ex?" he ventured and finished off his sandwich.

"No," I said and slurped my soup, "just a friend."

He nodded and began on his soup. "What did you want to ask me then, detective?"

I wiped my hand on my jeans and pulled out my notepad. "I was just wondering if you could tell me exactly who Cobra is?"

He took another sip of his soup. "I could."

I sighed to show my annoyance and swallowed a bite of grilled cheese. "Well?"

"What do I get if I tell you?" he asked and that same old devilish grin came sneaking across his lips.

"You'll be helping me catch the murderer of your boyfriend's father. Is that good enough?"

He merely shrugged and finished his soup.

"Or maybe you don't want to murderer to be found?" I said and looked at him. "I know why Chang introduced you two, and I can't imagine Mr. Winner being happy about it."

Heero just laughed. Yeah, that's right, he laughed. "I don't care if the murderer is found or not. It has nothing to do with me. And I also didn't care if Mr. Winner knew how gay I am. I was just joking, Duo."

Well, I really didn't buy that, but I pretended like I did. "So, are you gonna tell me who Cobra is?"

"His name is Akito Sohma," he said and stood up. "That's all I know about him."

I wrote it down quickly and tried to remain smug, but I was actually feeling better for the first time that day. At least I had a real name to go with my lead now.

"Thanks Heero," I said and stood up, "that's all I wanted to know."

"You sure you don't wanna stay?" he asked and looked at me. He had a different smile on his lips now. This one was not devilish at all, only sad.

"I'd better get going," I said and walked away. I mean, part of me did want to stay. Why wouldn't it? That part was obviously in my pants and was begging for some attention besides the same old five fingers. So, it's not like it was easy to walk away from an offer like that, but I did. I didn't know why, but I did.

"All right," he said as I walked toward the door and left. "I'll see you around, Duo."

"Yeah," I said and walked away without turning around.

When I got in my car and started to leave I had about a million different doubts going through my head. I still kinda wanted to go back into Heero's apartment and take him up on his offer. I mean, I didn't know what he was like while I was sober, right? Why not try it out? It's not like I had anything stopping me?

So, by the time I got to the first street light, the one right in front of The Blue Angel, I was seriously thinking about making a U-turn and going back. But then I saw something that wiped all thoughts of sex with Heero Yuy from my mind. Well, for the moment anyway. I saw Cobra, or more correctly, Akito Sohma walking into The Blue Angel through a back door with two women. One was petite with short dark hair, the same German girl from the antique shop. The other was dressed all in black with long blonde hair. The woman in Trowa's picture. Dorothy Catalonia.

* * *

More Author's Notes: Okay, in case you don't know Akito Sohma, or Sohma Akito (whichever you prefer) is from a wonderful anime/manga called Fruits Basket. I suggest you check it out, it's very good. Also, his name would actually be spelled Soma in Japanese, but the extra "h" is added so it is pronounced correctly for those who don't know the Japanese sound system. And really, who doesn't? Just joking!

Also, this chappy's title is in reference to Hilde. Just in case anyone was wondering. So, what did you think? Please let me know! Thanks for reading : )