Disclaimers: Gundam Wing doesn’t belong to me, nor will it ever.

Warnings: Not really anything that graphic… I think. Just plain old ‘Tsu-ism’ /coughSAPsough/

Notes: This is a sequel to Of Cost Savings bla bla bla and Housebroken… It is FINALLY done. I broken up this story in two chapters because Tsu was having brain diarrhea again and wrote too much.

Payback’s a Bitch

Part 1

Heero Yuy was hunched over his laptop, glad that Duo Maxwell, whom he hoped was still his boyfriend, lover, soulmate, friend, partner, didn’t take his frustration out on an inanimate piece of electronics, which just happened to be Heero’s heart and soul. Wait, no, Duo was Heero’s heart and soul, the laptop was his baby. Wait, Duo was also his baby, the laptop was… wait… why was he so attached to the laptop? Oh right, it was an excellent heater during the cold winter days of the war and he was parading around in black spandex. Now he remembered the source of his attachment to the thing. His lap was so warm with the laptop on it.

Hmm, he needed to show Duo how he felt. Duo knew how he felt, at least, he thought so. But then again, Duo had been rather oblivious of the fact that they were together since they moved in with each other. No, the American had too much sugar and thus rotted his brain, he would need to be a bit more direct. Duo was currently now not ‘taking any calls’ and therefore not accepting any apologies. He would have to ‘take a number’ and ‘leave a message’ with his assistant and Duo would ‘get back’ to him ‘at his own freaking convenience’ and might leave him to ‘hang’ for a while.

Heero winced at that last part. Yup, his partner, lover was still mad. Hopping so. It just wasn’t his fault that Duo stepped blindly into a trap. He had yet to admonish him for being so careless. Sure it was peacetime and sure it was a trap set by his own lover. Whatever the case, a soldier should never be this careless! But still, he wanted to move back into his home, and snuggle with the amazingly warm and snuggly Duo, so he had to listen to his friends who suggested that he learned the basics of a love poem and possible write one of his own.

He nearly snorted coffee in their faces. He had enough trouble translating this one. Well, not translating per se, but breaking it down. Everything was a huge mess actually. Darling buds of May? What darling? Why did this crazy man calls buds an endearment. Whose buds? Heero’s mind flew another different kind of bud and he cursed himself for not telling Duo about that second trap, and the third trap and the fifteenth trap. He gloomily started on the love… sonnet, was the term used by Wu Fei and hoped he got it.

He had yet to figure out exactly what ‘it’ was but he was sure he would get it given enough time… enough days… enough months… alright, alright, he was never going to get this freaking weather report but Heero Yuy was never a quitter and he wasn’t about to begin to be one. He would die or rip his eyes out before that happened, though he figured the latter had a larger chance of occurring.

Taking a deep breath, he started tapping on his laptop.

XXxxXX

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Summer’s day? How are you a summer’s day? Does this mean you are hot and muggy, and you remind me of sweat on leather seats? Damn, I really hate sweat on leather seats. Wait, no, I guess it would depend on what type of sweat. I really like the type of sweat you make me break out in. It is then Une would come over and knock me over the head for fantasising at work while I should doing paperwork and filing mundane crap like Form 34 (I iii).

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Temperate? You? Are you kidding me? Wait, how did you manage to get from summer to temperate? Does this mean you are not temperamental? Alright, I am so resisting the urge to laugh out loud right now, though it would just make me look stupid, laughing at myself. You are probably the most temperamental little shit I have ever known. But, you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. I like the way you can turn from icy cold to damn hot within a second and make me forget my work. I like how you can start a fire all on your own and burn me up as well. Though the lovely part…. I think I would need to reconsider. Well, you are lovely, preferably without clothes but I doubt you would be happy with me calling you that. You are not a girl, damn it!

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

Winds… what winds? I sure hope that we are not taking about passing wind here, because, I do love you but you sure eat a lot of onions, don’t you? And what is this stupid buds of May thing? Is May a flower that no one told me about? When does May have any buds? Did someone change biology and failed to tell me about it? Hold on a minute. Buds… oh yeah, you do have some buds. They are rather nice and… pink too. I love how they look on your pale skin. I can imagine how it would perk and pucker if I give it just the right amount of attention… damn, excuse me. I have something to do. Be right baccc

And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Right, where was I? What the hell does this mean? Summer’s lease? Is the world so commercial that even seasons must have leases? And just who is the damn lessor? God? I am just making a wild guess that this means summer will go away, but you won’t? Well, I sure hope to hell you won’t. I am not sure what to do if you weren’t that to annoy me constantly, make me worry needlessly and nag you relentlessly. See how you turned me into a woman? Are you happy now? I am a now a sap and completely lost without you that I am trying to break down a stupid sonnet written by a dead man who obviously don’t know how to express what he if feeling for his lover. What’s with hiding behind all these damn complicated words? If he doesn’t have the guts to just go up to his lover and tell him that his ass is the cutest thing in this world he should just… just… This is not working.

XXxxXX

Heero stared at the screen in frustration. He resisted the urge to throw his once beloved piece of electronics across the room and hoped it got crushed into an ugly pile. He thought he would want to make Duo happy by just being able to grasp the whole mechanics of poetry but it looked like he failed as well. He just didn’t want to see disappointment in Duo’s face any longer. He didn’t want to see him unhappy, hurt or any other negative information.

He took a deep breath and started typing again.

XXxxXX

… just… This is not working. But I don’t want to see you unhappy. Hell, you should never be unhappy. You deserve anything I can give you and more. You are the on bright spirit in my life and if I lose that, I don’t think I want to live anymore.

I may not be able to express myself properly, but I want you to know, I do love you. Forever if whatever higher power there is in this world would let me. For eternity if there is an afterlife.

Alright, now I realise what it means to be oversapped and I am going to find a toothbrush.

XXxxXX

Heero stared at what he just typed on the screen and literally shuddered. Oh God, what had happened to him? Why was he writing such… such… utter tripe? He imagined the look of disbelief on Duo’s face before exploding into laughter. He could almost see it now. No, Duo must not read this. He selected the entire file and was just about to delete it when his entire body stiffened.

Duo was here, his instinct told him. His Duo radar worked rather well, especially when it was Duo-deprived for a certain number of days. Besides, his sharp ears caught his lover familiar laughter.

He surged out of his seat and bounded down the stairs, his almost hound dog like senses bringing him unerringly toward Duo somewhere in the vicinity of Quatre’s kitchen. His lover must be really upset to be eating Quatre out of mansion and home again. He hovered at the door, unsure if he should enter. What if Duo decided to throw a flan at him or something?

“…likes you,” Duo was probably speaking to Quatre, who had once again come to the rescue of his harassed kitchen staff. Heero could recognise his lover’s voice in a thunderstorm, with earplugs on and he was deaf as a post.

“Duo Maxwell,” Quatre piped in, sounding incredibly annoyed. “Don’t you dare start this again. You are just trying to get back at me.”

Heero frowned. Hmm, someone likes Quatre? Who? How come with his astute perceptiveness, he didn’t know? Get back? Wait, this was the touted and feared revenge? Duo was so going to have to do better than that.

Duo laughed softly, sending a frisson of something running up and down Heero’s back. Damn, he was getting turned on by a mere laugh. Heero Yuy, L1 colonist, former Gundam pilot, saviour of the world, Perfect Soldier, Preventor’s best and pathetic pervert.

“Come on, Quatre. You must have seen the way he looks at you?” Duo lowered his voice, speaking softly.

Heero quickly pressed his back against the wall, next to the doorway. He couldn’t believe how much he missed Duo and if he couldn’t feast his eyes on him, he was satisfied just hearing him speak. Ugh, he made a mental memo to go find that toothbrush. The more he thought about Duo the more cavities he was building up.

“Lo… looks at me?” Quatre said, his voice wavering. Yup, Quatre sounds really unsure right now.

Heero could imagine Duo nodding furiously. His lover was talking about. “Oh yeah, I saw this really interesting magazine on his office desk the other day. I think it’s that popular Preventor’s publication, Enforcer’s Monthly?”

Quatre giggled softly. “Yeah, Une was getting bored with peacetime.”

Duo snorted loudly. “No wonder it was a mixture of woman’s magazine and insanity. So anyway, I think he was doing this quiz. For the life of me, I can’t really remember what it is. But the results were circled in bright red ink and apparently, Trowa needs to be disciplined harshly for wanting to snog his partner.”

There was a long silence before Quatre spoke again. “You’re lying.”

There was a rustle of clothes and Heero guessed it was Duo shrugging. “Sure, call me a liar. You know Shinigami never lies. And if you want to keep lying to yourself, so be it. I know you also want a piece of Trowa’s ass. I have seen you checking him out many times before. And that time when he walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a tiny towel around his waist?” Duo whistled appreciatively.

That got Heero’s blood boiling. Whether or not they were speaking to each other, he wasn’t going to tolerate Duo appreciating another man other than himself. Without thinking of consequences, he swung through the door, and fixed Duo with a heated glare. He was unaware at the low growl that started at the base of his throat.

Duo was surprised at seeing him, if the widened violet eyes were any indication. A smile started to curve those lovely lips but was cruelly stifled.

“You stare at only me!” Heero growled, passing a cursory glance at Quatre’s pink cheeks. “You will only want my ass!” He stared at Duo for the longest time while his boyfriend gave him a benign look.

Suddenly, Duo’s serious façade cracked. He burst out laughing. He got up from his seat and walked over to Heero, while the Japanese boy sweated nervously. Did he just piss his boyfriend off more? A laughing Duo could sometimes be even worse than an angry one.

“I always only want your ass,” Duo whispered as he passed Heero, leaving behind a really confused boyfriend.

Quatre was smiling at the two of them, after Duo left. “Looks like you just might be moving back in with Duo again soon.”

Heero was left there scratching his head. What had just happened? What did he just do… right?

Quatre shook his head sympathetically, noting the utter confusion on Heero’s expression. “Why don’t you go find Trowa and Wu Fei? I think they are fiddling with one of my older cars.”

Heero nodded dumbly. Yeah, perhaps he should do that.

XXxxXX

Duo was practically skipping up the steps of Quatre’s home. Sure he had been missing Heero for the past week but he sure hadn’t gotten over the blow to his pride being strung upside down in the tree in front of their house. Sure he had been mad with Heero, but once his pride got over it, he started missing his boyfriend. He had wracked his head for a way to salvage his pride and bring his boyfriend back home as well.

He could no longer go over to Quatre’s home and drown his troubles over food anymore, since Heero provided ample in their own home. Heero had made sure they had installed three larders, one exclusively for Duo’s junk food. Heero Yuy was always prepared.

He had leapt for the opportunity when Quatre had invited him over for lunch. The blond apparently had news for him. Months upon months of gentle suggestion had finally taken hold and Quatre had awoken this morning with a pile of messed up sheets. He had a rather erotic dream about a fellow Preventor. So what did it mean?

Duo had grinned like a loon. Of course, during the course of the lunch, Heero had been disappointingly missing. Trowa and Wu Fei, another one of his victims… er, well, victims would be the most appropriate term, were sent away with something to occupy their mind, times and far away from the kitchen. He had continued all through lunch to plant all manner of thoughts in Quatre’s sometimes impressionable head but most of what Duo said had some element of truth in it, just very slim. But he had seen some of the looks Trowa had thrown Quatre. Of course, Trowa could very well have been constipated at the time. After all, he was number two in the almost expressionless section, with Heero taking the crown once again for the 19th year in a row.

Wu Fei hadn’t been spared as well. But with the Chinese boy, it had been a little more obvious. When someone made lovey dovey eyes at another person, in this case a woman, it was rather obvious where his affections lay. For Wu Fei, it for a young doctor with long braided hair. Of course there was that matter of age, but Duo firmly believed that age shouldn’t be a factor when it came to true love. Then he had gagged, thinking about the sappiest thing he had ever thought about. He blamed Heero. His boyfriend had a mountain of sap running underneath his quiet exterior.

Speaking of his boyfriend, Duo passed by a doorway flung open and guessed it was the room Heero was using during his, erm, visit with Quatre. As usual, his blasted laptop was on and there was a document up. As usual, curiosity got the better of him and he inched toward the laptop, ever worried that the thing might actually be sentient and clamp down on his fingers as he touched the keyboard like an angry oyster.

“I hate you,” he told the laptop while it sat there and shone annoyingly smug at him. Duo firmly believed that it was alive and they both fought for Heero’s attention at times. Although Duo won, there more than enough times where the laptop would seem to smirk at him while he stared at Heero hunched over the keyboard, his long fingers caressing the machine while he tapped away a report. Those fingers that could be caressing him were wasted on that damn pile of electronic junk.

He was certain a few times that the laptop was laughing at him, taunting him.

He also knew he was due for a psychological test.

He was about to move away, not really wanting to impose of Heero’s privacy. While curious, undeniably, they did make a pact to respect each other’s privacy. Although, they always seem to share everything. Duo believed if Heero wanted him to… Wait a minute.

“Shakespeare?” Duo muttered disbelievingly and hurried toward the computer. His eyes ran through the rather, erm, interesting dissertation done by Heero Yuy. He plopped down onto the chair, his entire body melting. It started with a warm heat building inside his body, somewhere around the region of his heart and it started spreading from there. He made a mental note that sap was also a very virulent form of attack on a person. It can also create heat to melt the hardest of metals.

“Damn it, Heero,” he smiled. “You stupid idiot.” He clicked the print icon, and waited for the printer to spit out the paper with that… well, love letter would be the closest thing he could get to.

There were a few highly unflattering remarks about him, but he could see that they were, er, truthful, exaggerated but truthful. He snatched up the paper and hugged it to his chest. He folded it and carefully tucked it into his pocket, smiling gleefully to himself. Sure it was a non-standard love letter as far as love letters go because usually they didn’t involve explaining their partner’s ability to fart but as far as Heero Yuy goes, this was absolute poetry.

He looked at the document still on the screen and wondered if he should somehow save it into his inbox. But then, Heero might find out. Heero might not be comfortable. However, it was for him right? Duo would see it right? Someday? Hopefully? Possibly, this would never see the light of day, knowing his partner and he gave into temptation and clicked the print icon for another copy.

Everyone needed a browsing copy.

“Duo?” Quatre voice drifted up the hallway. “Where are you?”

“Shit,” Duo hissed. He sure as hell didn’t want to be caught doing this, sneaking into Heero’s room and stuff. He stared at the paper in his hands, and looked around, trying to frantically find a place to hide it. In the back of his mind it droned to him: no crushing my love letter, no throwing away my love letter, no…

“Duo?” Quatre was closer now.

Duo shoved it into a file on the table and leaped toward the hallway. He peeked out surreptitiously and noted Quatre was still around the corner. He made a mad dash for the bathroom, closing the door in the nick of time. He leaned against the door, trying to compose himself and slow his breathing.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Duo? Are you in here?” Quatre asked.

“Yeah!” Duo called out, sprinting to the sink and turning on the tap. “Just be a minute.” He turned off the water and wiped his hands down. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the door open.

“You sure took a long time,” Quatre asked, just a tad suspicious.

Duo shrugged, trying and half succeeding to look innocent. The other part, he just looked completely embarrassed. “Yeah, some people have to answer the call of nature, Quat.”

Quatre didn’t really look convinced but decided to let it go. Besides, he had other problems. “Are you sure?”

Duo stared at Quatre. Could he have guessed so easily? “Of… of course I am sure. I mean come on, how can someone not know when he needs to go…” Seeing the confusion on Quatre’s expression he stopped. “We’re not talking about the same thing, are we?”

“You’re just saying it aren’t you?” Quatre continued, apparently not really registering any of what Duo had said.

Duo smiled, relief filling him. Well, he wasn’t caught. But he couldn’t believe Quatre actually took what he said to heart. This was getting increasingly enjoyable. “Oh come on, haven’t you seen the looks he has been giving you?”

“What looks?” Quatre asked, confused. “It’s hard to see anything his that one eye!”

Duo draped his arm around Quatre. “Oh, don’t worry, things will work out. Perhaps one day, he might actually invite you out for dinner.”

XXxxXX

Duo walked into the garage, trying to find Heero and the rest. He found Wu Fei washing the grease from his hands.

“Hey,” he greeted, ambling toward Wu Fei.

The Chinese man tensed when he saw Duo, his eyes going wild for a moment, as if looking for an escape. It was as if he saw his doom.

Duo schooled his face into impassivity while trying to resist the urge to explode into laughter. “Seen Heero?”

“No,” Wu Fei said, keeping an eye on Duo. He looked ready to bolt if the longhaired American made any sudden movements. “I think he’s inside with Quatre.”

Duo shook his head. “No, he wasn’t in the house. Quatre told me he was out here with you and Trowa.” Where was that illusive Japanese?

“No.”

Duo studied Wu Fei carefully, noting how tense he was and his desire to flee. He allowed a slow smirk to crease his lips. It was probably the most horrible sight someone could face, seeing everyone who saw hat smile would end up emotionally shattered or physically unable to function. It was his ‘Shinigami’ smile.

Wu Fei shuddered, fearing that this was the last moment of his life. He knew, he knew he shouldn’t have meddled with Duo or Heero. Worse, now, he had meddled with them, both and together!

Dear ancestors, please protect me, for I am soon coming to be with you, he thought darkly.

“Hey, have you thought of who you are going to invite to the Annual Preventor’s Dinner?” Duo asked casually, his mind brewing with gleefully evil intent.

Wu Fei’s thought processes stuttered to a stop. Where was retribution? Where was Duo showing a socket wrench into his eye? “Huh?”

“You, know… the annual dinner and dance. Where you should go with your partner? Uh, a partner?” Duo corrected. He saw the wheels in Wu Fei’s head turning at this simple and seemingly innocent suggestion. Since Sally Po was Wu Fei’s partner, he enjoyed watching his Chinese friend’s complexion slowly turn red. It really was so easy playing them.

“What do you mean?” Wu Fei asked, stiffly.

Duo shrugged innocently. “I meant, are you going? And who you are going to invite to be your partner… uh, a partner.”

“Duo Maxwell, I don’t appreciate you trying to suggest anything tha…” Wu Fei started, almost to the point of hyperventilating.

Duo laughed softly. “Oh come on Wu Fei, don’t tell you didn’t notice. She has eyes for you.” More of you had eyes for her.

“I will not… really?” Wu Fei asked, amazed. “When?”

“Remember that time when we were on the mission where you were supposed to give us the signal to attack? Her eyes were all over you,” Duo was pinching himself in an effort to keep from bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

Wu Fei rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Duo, you were all looking for the signal, of course everyone’s eyes were on me.”

“It wasn’t that she looked at you, Wu Fei, it was the way she looked like she was undressing you with her eyes!” Duo continued, trying to stretch the truth as far as it will go.

“She did not!” Wu Fei protested, unable to believe the cool, calm and collect doctor would do such a thing.

“She did say yum and I think she was looking at your ass at the time.” Duo, of course, did not mention that Sally had responded to his query of if she liked the new chewing gum he just offered her.

“She… did?” Wu Fei asked, a little stunned. Alright, more than a little. Duo thought his brain had started crawling out of his ears and running into the mansion to join Quatre for lunch.

“Oh well,” Duo moved away. He had to before he embarrassed himself by laughing so much he peed in his pants.

He proceeded with his search for his errant boyfriend, which he found a short time later reclining under a tree, looking thoughtful. Heero scrambled to his feet at the sight of his boyfriend and took a tentative step towards Duo before stopping hesitantly.

“How are…” Heero started, feeling awkward. “How’s everything in the house?”

Quieter, less chaotic, neighbours are friendlier too, Duo thought to himself. “A mess, everything is in a disarray. I can’t even get the stupid computer room because I can’t open the security lock. I think I need all the help I can get.” He turned and started walking away.

Heero’s eyes widened. Did he just hear correctly, was he actually sleeping and thus dreaming without knowing it? He gave himself a tentative pinch on the thigh. It hurt. So no, he wasn’t dreaming. But then again, there were recorded cases where a person was able to feel pain even as he was dreaming. So it could be the case right… Duo’s voice cut through his muddled thoughts.

“What are you waiting for? A formal invitation?” Duo groused.

Heero snapped from his trance and sped after Duo with a happy smile on his face.

XXxxXX

“I really hope they work it out with their neighbours,” Trowa commented, paging through another edition of Enforcer’s Monthly. For a monthly digest, they sure publish the damn thing almost every week.

“I’m sure they will,” Quatre muttered distractedly. He eyed the magazine and resisted the urge to peek at what Trowa was reading. He let out a sound of frustration, running his fingers through his hair in annoyance. He was letting Duo get to him once again. It was Duo’s way of getting the much feared, much touted revenge on him by playing with his mind. No, he wasn’t going to believe all this shit.

Nope.

No way.

“Oh yeah,” Trowa uncurled himself from his favourite chair, snapping the magazine shut. “I have something for you to look over. It was Heero’s job but since he went back to perfect domesticity land, he asked me to hand it over to you. Have it look at it and tell me what you think.”

Quatre was too busy staring at the fluidity of Trowa’s movements to actually listen to the other boy speak.

“Quatre,” Trowa waved his hand in front of the blond’s face. “Hey, Earth to Quatre. Quatre!”

“Huh? What?” Quatre blinked.

“For you,” Trowa extended the paper file toward Quatre, his boss and sometimes partner at the Preventors.

“Oh, right,” Quatre took it setting it down on his table.

Trowa turned to leave the room. “Hey,” he stopped, turning back to Quatre. “Are you invited to the dinner and dance thing?”

“Yes,” Quatre answered, feeling his mouth going dry. Was this it? Was what Duo told him to be true? Would Trowa be asking him to be his partner to the dance? Oh no, he didn’t have any clothes, what would he wear?

“Oh, okay.” Trowa closed the door softly behind him.

Quatre sagged into his chair, feeling absolutely foolish. He dropped his head on the table, he forehead resounding loudly. “Ow,” he complained listlessly. Damn that Duo for putting such utter nonsense into his mind. He straightened with half tired, half disappointed sigh and opened the file that Trowa gave him. It was the latest security arrangement set up for the Preventors’ dinner and dance. He thought he asked Heero to do it, to get his mind off Duo, but apparently, Trowa took over. Well, it was better this way. Seeing the way Heero’s mind was no where near his body for the past few weeks, having something as delicate as security be handled by Trowa seemed a lot more confidence inspiring.

He paged through the file moodily, taking note of a few items and changing a few other details. Why did he let Duo get to him like that? Why did he ever trust any single word that Duo uttered? Even after knowing that the stupid long haired idiot was only biding his time to make their lives a living hell, despite all three of them actually helping him get his happily ever after…

He lifted the last paper with shaking hands. What was this? Wasn’t this the sonnet they gave Heero to understand? Why was Trowa doing with a dissertation of it… His eyes widened as he read what was written.

“He… he wrote me… he wrote me a love letter,” Quatre stuttered. “Not a very good one. A pretty lame ass one actually. I do not like onions that much!” He protested to himself. “It was just that dish of chicken and you really need the onions to bring out the flavour of the meat!” He threw the paper on his desk. “And where do you go off talking about a person passing wind when you are trying to profess love to him?” Then his expression softened.

“Duo was right. He does love me.”

“Quatre?” A blond braided head popped into his room. “Are you in here?”

Quatre gasped, quickly pushing the piece of paper out of sight. “Sally! Come in.”

Sally peered at Quatre. “Are you alright?” She gestured to the door. “I knocked three times but you didn’t seem to hear.”

“Oh, I’m fine, just fine,” Quatre bobbed his head. He took a deep breath. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

The rest of Sally’s body joined her head inside Quatre’s room. “Yes, I am looking for the file for the security detail of the Annual Dinner. Is it with you? Heero said something about leaving it at your place.”

Quatre passed the file Trowa gave him this morning. “I think this is what you were looking for. I went through it once already. Perhaps you could add in whatever else you think should be there?”

Sally lifted the file from Quatre and tucked it under her arm. “Who said I was going to do anything? What’s the point of being Wu Fei’s superior when you can’t make him do things?” She grinned impishly. She waltzed out of the room, leaving Quatre to shake his head indulgingly at her.

The blond didn’t really understand the mechanics of Wu Fei’s and Sally’s relationship, though he had made a huge mistake once of mentioning to Wu Fei that he approved his choice in girlfriends. He had his head bitten off so fast he didn’t even feel the pain. But he was sure that the constant bantering had to mean something. Sally poked, Wu Fei reacted. Sally teased, Wu Fei reacted. It looked like a marriage made in heaven to him.

Quatre shook his head, dismissing it from his mind. Besides, he had his own problems to consider. He turned his attention back to that problematic love letter Trowa gave him and he froze. He stood up abruptly, his chair skidding back and slamming hard against the wall behind him. Frantic hands rifled through the papers on the table, searching maniacally for the missing sheet.

“Where is it?” Quatre wailed.

But it wasn’t there.

“Oh God,” Quatre groaned, dropping his head on folded hands on the table. “Oh God.”

It was missing.

Tbc…