Several weeks later, Zechs no longer even bothered to glance up when Duo slipped into the office sometime after three a.m. They had both become accustomed to seeing each other in the dead of night. While still not close friends, the silence between them was no longer uncomfortable. Duo had started to dread going home to his silent apartment and the nightmares that inevitably waited for him. Even the company of an antisocial, ex-prince with a serious case of guilt to work out was better than silence and ghosts.

“I made fresh coffee…” Zechs nodded at the coffee maker on the filing cabinet. “The stuff in the break room was growing mold.”

“Thanks….” Duo rubbed a hand across eyes that felt permanently scoured by sandpaper. The coffeemaker had appeared two days ago, and he was incredibly grateful for its presence in the office.

“Have you thought about talking to Sally?” Zechs finally looked up at him, his ice blue eyes carefully neutral. “See if she could give you anything help you sleep?”

“Have you?”

“What makes you think I have trouble sleeping?” Zechs asked defensively.

“You never do….” Duo told him, trying to bite back the urge to snap at the older man. “Shit… not good company tonight, man.”

“I understand.” Zechs shrugged. “I’m not exactly good company myself.”

“’s not you…” Duo sighed, and stood up again. “Gonna head down to the cafeteria and grab some breakfast. You want anything?”

“No, thanks… I’m heading out in a few minutes.”

“Okay….” Duo didn’t see the thoughtful look on his officemate’s face as he slipped back into the hall and headed for the cafeteria.

***
The cafeteria was only sparsely populated, since nightshift was little more than a skeleton crew at the best of times. Grabbing a bagel, he glanced around to see who else was around that he could maybe hang out with; but the only face he recognized was Dorothy Catalonia, and she was hunched defensively over her own cup of coffee with a glaring air of Do-Not-Disturb.

Great, either a bunch of ex alliance or oz soldiers I don’t know, or the Wicked Witch of the East. Not sure I’m quite that desperate for company… ah what the hell… I hang out with Zechs now, sorta….

“Hey…” he said softly, sinking down in a chair opposite her. “ Mind if I sit here?”

Catalonia stared at him in shock as he sat down, her forked brows arching over cold blue eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Her voice was icy and bitter.

“Eating a bagel and drinking coffee,” he grinned at her disarmingly. “What’s it look like?”

“The cafeteria is nearly empty. Surely there was not a problem finding a seat at another table?”

“No… but I wanted to sit at this one.”

“So sorry for taking your favorite table,” she snapped. “Next time put your name on it….” He blinked at her in shock as she gathered up her coffee.

“Hey… what’s with all the attitude?” He asked finally. “I thought you wouldn’t mind some company for once. Every time I see you… you’re always alone.”

“Maybe I prefer to be alone.”

“Huh. Wish I did…” He muttered. “Care to share the secret?”

“What secret?” She threw him a suspicious look, but sat back down in her seat.

“Of how to enjoy always being alone?”

“Other people suck.” She shrugged. “What would you know about being alone, anyway? You’re one of the saviors of the world, a Gundam Pilot. You were on the side of righteousness against Oz and White Fang both.” A bitter smile curved her lips. “People like you. I on the other hand… was the granddaughter of one of the major powers in Romefeller, a warmongering supporter of Oz, and a member of White Fang. People don’t like me.”

“There are lots of people in Preventers who were part of Oz or White Fang.” He frowned. He’d never stopped to think about why Dorothy was always alone.

“Most of them weren’t connected to a computer system piloting Mobile Dolls, or the one to stick a sword through Quatre Winner, much-loved heir to the Universe.”

“Well… yeah.” He frowned. “But it’s been a year. I thought the whole point of ending the war was forgiveness and peace.”

“Right,” she snorted inelegantly. “You’ve been listening to Relena’s pacifist speeches again, haven’t you?”

“Not exactly,” he shrugged. “I thought you guys were friends though?”

“I switched sides a few too many times. Like Zechs.” Her smile was more of a grimace of pain. “She isn’t exactly fond of either of us anymore.”

“I never thought of that.” He sighed. “No wonder he never goes home.”

“Yeah.” She looked down at her coffee cup, then up at him. “How come you’re here on the nightshift, anyway?”

“Been coming in early the last few days.” He muttered uncomfortably.

“Six hours early?”

“Yeah. So? Last time I looked at the Duty Roster, you weren’t scheduled for nightshift either.”

“I…” She shrugged again. “I like it here at night. Fewer people that remember who I was.”

“And an empty apartment has too much room for ghosts?” He asked softly.

“Yes.” She glanced at him for a long moment. “But this is a new thing for you. Zechs and I have been wandering around Preventers at night almost since it was formed. What happened to bring you here?”

“My invitation to the guilt-fest got delayed in the mail?” He tried for a grin, but failed. “I…one of the cases… I was on… was….”

She watched him for a long moment, the bitter look fading from her eyes for the first time in nearly a year. “Let me guess… the school shooting?”

“That obvious?” He tried for a smile. “Funny, you, Zechs and Sally Po are the only ones who even considered that that case might be getting me down.”

“I know where your name came from,” she said quietly. “I… this is not going to endear me to you… but I think my grandfather was the one who ordered the… destruction of Maxwell Church.”

“Oh.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say. The massacre, even though he had relived it nightly in his dreams, had happened over ten years ago. And her Grandfather was dead. She couldn’t have been much older than he was when the attack happened.

“That’s it? Oh?” She looked surprised.

“Were you the one who told your grandfather to bomb it?”

“No…”

“Then it doesn’t matter,” he shrugged sadly. “It was just… the school was… run by Nuns… and one of them… I found one of them…. And….”

“Oh, Duo….” He was startled by the sudden sympathy in her normally cold voice.

“And I don’t know why I’m telling you this….” He frowned. “I haven’t told anyone this… well Zechs kinda guessed the first night I showed up… but….”

She smiled a little bitterly. “Sometimes the only person you can talk to is a stranger.”

“If that was true… I would have been sitting at a different table.”

“Maybe. But you and I aren’t friends,” she pointed out. “Have you talked to your friends about this?”

“No. They… don’t have time for… for me to bother them with my problems.”

“Then what is the point of having friends?” She retorted. “Not that I would know, since I don’t seem to have any.”

“Why aren’t you and Zechs closer?” He changed the subject abruptly. “I… would have thought you two would stick together against everyone else… you were on the same side at the end… most of the time….”

“I think…we remind each other of how insane we both were at the end. And the… mobile doll system and Epyon… it…” She broke off sharply. “Shit… never mind.” He watched as she gathered up her coffee and stood up. “Duo…thanks for the company.” The words were awkward, and somewhat hesitant.

“Any time….”

“I almost think you mean that.” And then in a swirl of blond hair, she was gone.

“So do I.”