Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ Sadie, Sadie ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

For warnings, disclaimers, etc., see Chapter One.

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Chapter Five

Things didn't get any less weird after the beach room. Next thing he knew, Leon was wandering at the foot of a forested mountain, looking up into miles of mist and greenery, spotting the occasional giant panda. After that, it was a steamy jungle where jaguars and tapirs roamed through the undergrowth, and insects the size of his head swarmed around exotic flowers he'd only ever seen in greenhouses. Then he watched tiny, sand-colored animals and reptiles skitter across the endless surfaces of sand dunes. All beneath the light of the same half-moon and stars. Through it all, the only anchor he had to reality was D's hand, which never let go of his own. Chris, he couldn't help but notice, didn't seem to think any of this was weird, and chatted comfortably with the animals like they were all old buddies.

Not all the rooms were mini-ecosystems. Some were parlor rooms, just like the front room of the shop, with ornate lanterns, couches and chairs with animals flopped all over them. No cages anywhere, except for a few of the birds. Everything roamed free and nothing seemed out of control. All the animals came up to D to greet him, sniffing or licking his hand, or maintaining a respectful distance.

"So…how many rooms are there?" Leon asked, as he tried to keep out of the various mud puddles in a marsh. A heron called sadly from across a reedy pond. "I mean…I don't see anything like the end of 'em, and we must have been in fifteen by now, at least…"

"I do not know," D surprised him by saying. He'd let go of Leon's hand now, in favor of keeping Chris away from the edge of the murky water. "Even I have never visited all of them. Not in person. I am aware of everything that happens in the shop, at all times, but I could not give you exact numbers, Detective. The shop is constantly changing, and does not lend itself to such precise calculations." He tilted his head to the side. "I must say, you are taking this remarkably in stride."

"Yeah," Leon said, trying to sound casual instead of totally freaked, "well…I mean, it's not the first time I've seen rooms like these, is it? There was that time I interrupted that…that marriage interview, and that girl…" his voice trailed off sheepishly. That was probably a bad subject to bring up, considering.

"Oh, yes, I remember." D's voice was sour.

"Well, anyway," Leon said quickly, "I didn't freak out then and I'm not freaking out now. Okay?"

"But you have seen only the most normal aspects of the shop thus far," D said, still resting his hand on Chris's shoulder. Chris still looked spooked by whatever was going on between D and Leon, and miserably tired on top of that; they'd been exploring the shop for hours. But he still leaned into D's touch, like he was hoping it meant that everything would be okay. Leon wished like hell that that was true. Something flittered in his peripheral vision, and Leon turned his head to watch Q-chan flying past, circling around all three of them overhead, watching them. He hadn't been sitting on D's shoulder like usual.

"Normal?" Leon said, hoping he'd heard wrong. "A beach and a desert in the basement is normal?"

D gave him a cold smile. "Perhaps you are 'freaking out,' after all. I could hardly blame you."

"No shit," Leon snapped. "But I'm not." Because he'd never give the asshole the satisfaction, if for no other reason. He could take this. "This is what's supposed to send me to the crazy house? Nice try."

He should have known D would take that as a challenge. "And if I showed you something more unusual than this?" he asked softly, dangerously, his eyes narrowing. "Something your human mind could not comprehend? I will be curious to see how you deal with it."

"If I got a human mind," Leon said, ignoring the taunt for now, "then what do you have? You said you weren't human. So what are you?"

"Something that hates humans," D said with a sneer. Leon sneered right back. Sure, D had never liked people. He'd made no secret of that. But nobody that 'hated humans' would take Chris in like a little boy lost, or feed Leon on demand, or kiss like he needed it. And D had sure as hell felt human, or close enough to it, on that couch.

"You hate me?" he demanded, pressing the point. "You hate Chris?" Chris gasped, and looked up at D, eyes going big. D went pale again, and looked out over the marsh. The heron called out once more.

"That's what I thought," Leon said.

"You know not whereof you speak," D said harshly, still not looking at either of them. "My family…our history…" He moved his hand from Chris's shoulder, and clasped it in his other one. "No. I will not tell you that. I do not owe you that truth."

"Fine," Leon said. "You don't owe me anything. You don't owe Chris anything. This isn't about owing people. I still wanna stay. So does he." Chris nodded frantically.

D whipped his head around to stare at Leon, his eyes huge. "You are mad," he snapped. "To throw your lot in with, with this, when -- when you don't even know -- " He waved a shaking hand at the marsh.

"Okay, I'm crazy, I got it," Leon said, reaching out to take his hand. D pulled away before he could touch him. He looked cornered. That wasn't good. Leon tried to think of something soothing to say, to defuse the moment, like you would when some lunatic had an Uzi pointed at a crowded room.

But he didn't come up with anything before D said, "Very well. I shall show you one last room." This time his smile was small, bitter, and triumphant. "Perhaps I have erred on the side of caution. You understand deserts, Detective. You understand beaches. You recognize all the animals you have seen so far, even if you did not expect to see any of them in this particular location. I am certain you will not understand this."

"Try me," Leon said, knowing it was a damn stupid thing to say, but bracing himself all the same.

"Oh, I will," D said, looking meaner than ever. "Chris, let's introduce Leon to one more of your friends. The rest of you," he said, turning to the entourage of animals that had been dogging their heels the whole time, "should go now." Again, like they understood every word, the animals scattered, and left the room, unless they already lived in the marsh. Even Pon-chan skittered out the door, glancing one last time at Chris over her bushy tail before she disappeared. Only Q-chan remained hovering. Then D turned to Chris. "Very well, then. Chris, can you show us to Honlon's room, please?"

Chris looked like he was about to burst into tears. Seeing that, D's bitter-cruel smirk went away, and he bit his lip. "Oh…you are tired, of course," he said, his voice gentling. "You should have been in bed hours ago. Forgive me for not thinking of it."

No! Chris shook his head rapidly. No, I'll show Leon to Honlon! Just don't make us leave!

D gave Leon a really vicious glare then, like that was somehow his fault. Leon shrugged. He was tired, too, and apprehensive, and not above emotional blackmail, if it worked. He was also thinking maybe he should have just dragged D into bed tonight, after all. It would have been a lot less complicated, he was sure, and wouldn't have involved him getting mosquito bites. Better yet, he should have just gotten D stoned on chocolate as soon as he got through the door, then dragged him to City Hall and married him before he came to his senses. Hindsight being what it was.

Too late for that now, though. "Fine," he said. "Show me Honlon. Whatever that is. A volcano or something?"

Honlon's a girl, Chris said, and then looked confused. I think. Count, what animal is she supposed to be?

"Let's permit Mr. Detective to find out for himself," D said. Leon could tell he was keeping his voice calm for Chris's sake. He patted Chris on the shoulder and led the way out of the marshy room. Leon followed him, turned left, and all of a sudden, the hallway ended. There was only one set of doors left. They were huge. Looked like they went up for twenty feet, and they were covered with brass carvings of Chinese dragons.

"Hold it," Leon said, stopping in his tracks. "This corridor kept going. Earlier. I know it did."

"You are certain of so many things," D said. He was trying to sound disdainful, but Leon could see that his hands were shaking, like this whole night was getting to him way more than he wanted to admit. "But you should never assume you understand how this world works, Detective. Never."

Before Leon could yell at him, he pressed lightly against the doors. And the doors -- which looked like they were made of wood two feet thick, and brass, and had to weigh about a thousand pounds each -- swung open without a creak. D stood by them, letting Leon and Chris precede him inside.

"As it happens, Detective," he murmured as Leon passed by him, "you have already met Honlon, briefly. In fact…you are quite important to her."

Did he think he was being cute when he got all cryptic? Leon thought of about fifteen smartass things to say, but then his eyes started adjusting to the gloom, and the words died in his throat. If the doors were huge, the room itself was cavernous -- ceilings and floors and walls without end and pillars carved out of jade and marble.

Well, it'd have to be big. There was a fucking enormous dragon sitting in the middle of it.

A dragon. With three heads.

'You have already met Honlon, briefly. In fact, you are quite important to her.'

"The dragon," he said numbly, pointing at the thing, which looked like it was asleep. And just starting to wake up, judging by the way the middle head was fluttering its eyelids. "The dragon from Christmas Eve."

"Very astute," D said, coming up behind him.

"I thought…I thought…" That he'd dreamed the whole episode, or been doped up by D, or it had been a lightshow, or something. Anything but that he'd actually thrown a real, live dragon into the Pacific Ocean. Wait a second -- "I pitched that damn thing into the sea! What the hell's it doing here?"

"'That damn thing,'" D said dryly, "found her way home to her parents. Well. To one of her parents, I should say." That reminded Leon of something else D had said on that crazy night. That Leon had helped "give birth" to the thing. 'I am its father, and Leon, you are its mother.' Oh, fucking hell.

Now all three heads had their eyes wide open, and they began to rear up into the air. Leon reached out, grabbed Chris, and dragged him close to his body, like he thought he could shield him worth a damn from a monster the size of a house. To his humiliation, he realized he'd stepped protectively in front of D, too.

No, Leon, Honlon's my friend, Chris protested. She…did you say she looks like a dragon, to you?

"Yeah," Leon said, his mouth dry, his heart hammering away. "She's a dragon. Definitely dragon-shaped, over there. Holy fuck…"

The dragon's heads were all watching him closely, now. The one on the left had deep, shadowy eyes that changed colors subtly, like seawater. The one on the right had catlike pupils that somehow looked really angry about something. And the one in the middle looked like her eyes were all pupil and no iris. Just big, inky, and black.

Chris waved at them. Leon's little brother waved at a dragon. Hi! he said. How are you?

All of the heads were silent for a second, before the one on the left spoke. Her voice seemed to rumble right up out of the earth's core, and shook the ground beneath Leon's feet. "We are well, Chris," she said, though all of the heads were keeping their multicolored eyes on Leon. "Though we were dreaming…dreaming of many things. And yourself?"

"I see your moronic brother finally showed up," the head on the right spat. "Finally taking an interest in your kid, huh, deadbeat?"

Leon's jaw dropped. To his surprise, D stepped up next to him. "Now, be fair, Kanan," he said soothingly. "Mr. Detective did not know you were here until tonight."

Is it true you're a dragon, Shuko? Chris asked the head on the left, sounding eager. I wish I could see.

"You can," 'Shuko' replied, "when you learn how to open your eyes." Chris wilted. Leon couldn't blame him. It sounded like the sort of stupid, unhelpful advice D gave all the time.

"It's been almost a week since you came to visit, Chris," the middle head said, in a little, shy voice. Well, 'little' compared to the other two anyway. It sounded almost girlish.

I'm sorry, Chris said, perking up again. Have you been lonely?

"Before we continue," D interrupted, "I think introductions are in order, don't you? Much less confusing for all involved. The head on the left is called Shuko; the one in the middle is Junrei; and the one on the right is Kanan."

And Shuko is the Count, and Kanan is you, and Junrei is a little kid, Chris added excitedly.

Leon jerked his head down to stare at him. "What? Who's me? What?"

D cleared his throat, and looked uncomfortable again. "Christopher is…mostly correct. Do you remember, that Christmas, when I told you that the dragon would take on the characteristics of the last person to hold it?"

"Yeah," Leon said slowly, looking up at his…his "kid," again. "So -- so the one on the right is like me. Kanan." 'Kanan' glared at him, and snorted a plume of smoke from her nostrils.

And Shuko's like the Count, Chris repeated. She's responsible.

"Whatever," Kanan muttered.

"I gotta sit down," Leon said, and sat on his ass on the marble floor.

"Kanan is uncouth, but she has a point," Shuko said, her voice mild. "Why have you brought Christopher's brother here, Count, on this night?"

D looked surprised, as if he hadn't been expecting to be questioned. He clasped his hands together. "I forgot," he murmured, "that you would not hear my announcement from this room. It is a special room," he added confidingly to Chris. "Honlon is not necessarily subject to the laws binding the other creatures of the shop."

"Honlon would like a damn answer to her question," Kanan said.

D glared up at her. "Oh, Kanan," Junrei said in a quivering voice. "Please don't be mean to the Count."

"It's all right, Junrei," D said tightly. "I will answer Shuko's question. I brought Detective Orcot here because tonight he asked to marry me."

The dragon regarded D in silence for a moment. Then, Shuko asked politely, "And?"

D looked flummoxed. Now that he'd accepted that there was a honking big dragon in front of him, Leon felt himself starting to get calm enough where he could take an interest in the conversation, which all of a sudden seemed to be going in a direction D hadn't expected. That had to be a good thing. "I'm not sure what you mean, Shuko," D said.

"Do you mean you said yes?" Junrei asked, sounding breathless and delighted.

"No!" D snapped. "I did not."

Chris looked suddenly heartbroken. So did Junrei, whose head drooped on its long neck. "What?" Kanan demanded. "So why'd you drag him here? Do you want us to eat him for you?" she added, sounding more interested.

Leon suddenly had a lot more sympathy for his former perp, because he just about pissed himself, then. No! Chris cried out. Junrei, Shuko, don't let her!

D quickly stepped between the dragon and Leon and Chris. "I certainly do not want you to eat him, Kanan," he said firmly.

"Neither do I," Shuko said. "Kanan, please remember that we have three heads, but only one stomach."

"Fine," Kanan snapped. "Still doesn't tell us what he's doing here."

"I'm glad to meet him," Junrei said shyly. "We've heard a lot about you, Mr. Detective," she added, which marked the first time one of the heads had spoken directly to Leon.

"Ahh, huh," Leon replied. The three heads regarded him silently. Had to do better than that. This was a damn dragon, thinking about eating him, and apparently also one of the shop's top animals. Even D couldn't boss it around. "Sorry. Uh. Nice to meet you too." They kept on staring. Leon decided it would be even more polite to clamber to his feet and dust off his pants, even though the floor was immaculate. "I'm, I'm a little, little shocked."

"Understandable," Shuko said mildly, but beneath it, he thought she was laughing at him. Definitely took after D, then. Then she looked at D, and said, "Well, Count?"

"He was…persistent," D admitted, sounding reluctant. More than that, sounding uncertain. "He would listen to none of my objections to our compatibility. I soon realized that showing him the shop would force him to accept that what he longed for was merely an illusion."

"Like fuck," Leon snapped before he could stop himself, and everybody turned to stare at him. He went red and didn't know where to look.

"Why didn't you just say no and pitch him out of the shop?" demanded Kanan. "He can't come into this place if you don't allow him in. Nobody can."

"I--" This definitely wasn't going the way D had planned. Now Leon knew where to look. He didn't take his eyes off D's face. "As I said, the detective would not take no for an answer…"

"You never said no," Leon growled.

Everybody turned to look at him again, including D, whose eyes widened. "Well, he didn't," Leon said, appealing up to the dragon. "Did you?" Back to D. "You said I was crazy, you said it was a bad idea, you said you weren't human, but you never said no."

"I should not have to say no to that which is impossible," D said through his teeth. "Really, Detective, do you actually intend to persist in your suit? You are the most obstinate, willfully blind -- "

"Why is it impossible?" Leon exploded. He pointed a shaking finger at Honlon. "That fucking dragon is impossible! This whole shop is impossible! Fucking hell, D! What are you telling me? That I can have a goddamn dragon for a kid, but I can't have you for a wi…for a…" D's eyes widened again, his nostrils flared in outrage, and Leon had to think fast. "For a person to be married to?!"

"He has a point, doesn't he, Count?" Shuko inquired which, thank God, dragged D's attention back to her. "It is not at all unknown for spirits and gods to take humans as consorts. Unless, of course, you truly are unwilling…?" Her voice trailed off with the obvious question.

"I am surprised at you, Shuko," D said, turning pink and not answering it. "Surprised and disappointed, I confess. You, more than any other creature in this shop, should understand my objections to humans. My race -- my people -- "

"Your people are only three in number," Shuko said. Leon started. Three? Whatever D was, there were only two others like him? "Perhaps you could learn a lesson from the humans in survival."

D looked as stunned as he had when Leon had proposed. "Shuko!" From somewhere above Leon's head, Q-chan gave an indignant squeak.

"She's right," Kanan said. "What? You wanted a pat on the head for turning down the best opportunity any of you has had in centuries?" Leon raised his eyebrows and decided he could forgive her for wanting to eat him, if she kept talking like that. Maybe.

"We were dreaming about King Gidora," Junrei put in then, and for a second Leon wondered if he'd heard right, because, in the middle of a conversation that didn't make much sense, that hadn't made any sense.

"King Gidora?" D asked faintly. "What about him?"

"Who the hell's King Gidora?" Leon demanded. "Isn't he one of the Godzilla monsters or something?"

"The Dragon King of the Southern Sea," Junrei said helpfully. "Our lord and master. He lives far beneath the ocean in a magnificent palace. He is great, powerful, and wise."

"Sometimes he communicates with us through dreams," Shuko said, still looking at D. "And tells us things we need to know."

"S-such as?" D asked.

"Count, you have raised us since egghood," Shuko said. "You have been our friend and protector all our lives. We owe a great debt to you. It is in our interest -- in the interest of all animals, magical and mundane -- that your species should survive."

"We have been surviving," D said.

"But not well," Shuko said. "And precariously. And for no real purpose."

"Oh, Shuko, that's mean," Junrei whispered.

"My family's purpose," D said, his voice low and shaking with repressed anger, "as you very well know, is revenge. Revenge upon the humans who -- "

"But you stink at it," Kanan interrupted. "You want real revenge? Let me loose on the city. In two hours I can -- "

"He does not want real revenge," Shuko said serenely, "and that is why he will do no such thing." Her head leaned forward, swaying gracefully, until she was almost nose-to-nose with D. D didn't even flinch, although he did glare.

Leon's head was swimming as he tried to work out the remarks about 'revenge' and stuff, but he did manage to listen, as Shuko said, "You have followed your grandfather's edicts without faith or reflection for too long, Count D."

"What?" D whispered, still glaring, but looking less obstinate. Leon had another gut-feeling then, one of those flashes of insight that were never wrong: Shuko was taking up the slack where Leon had left off, convincing D of something he already wanted to do. He had to trust that she knew what the hell she was doing, because he'd lost track of events at least two hours ago.

"King Gidora has spoken, urging us to act in your best interests. To persuade you to act in them," Shuko said. "We must obey our king. We see that he is right. I share your strengths and your weaknesses, Count -- you taught me to believe a very wrong thing, that humans could not live in this shop. But my lord has explained everything to us, and…" she swayed her head back towards the rest of her body, "my sisters have persuaded me as well."

"Ooh, wow," Kanan said. "That's a first."

D crossed his arms over his chest, darted a glance at Leon, then quickly looked back. He twitched. "Are you seriously suggesting," he began.

"An alliance with humans is your species' best hope for survival," Shuko said, and drew her head back again, so that it was more lined up with the other two. "That is all."

"Hold it."

Leon surprised himself, and everybody else, by speaking then. "Hold it," he repeated, looking at D as he worked out what was bugging him in his head.

"Yes?" D asked coolly, though Leon could tell he'd been badly shaken by what Shuko had said.

"I don't have a clue what the hell you guys are talking about," Leon said. "But me -- Chris and me -- we ain't just 'humans.' We're not just things. I'm not some damn farm animal out to stud, and I'm not just here to 'preserve your species.' Whatever the fuck that is." D frowned, opened his mouth, and then closed it again. "I said it before, I'll say it again," Leon said. "It's about you, D. That's who I wanna marry. And you better wanna marry me, not just some 'human.'"

"You -- " D began. "You're still insisting -- ?"

"Oh my God," Leon shouted, "are you deaf or stupid or something?" He waved his arms wildly and kept talking before D or anybody else could get a word in. "This is some kind of magic animal shelter? Fine. Okay. I can handle that. I've seen enough weird shit around here. I got a dragon for a daughter? So what? Is that the best you got?" He glared up at the dragon, just daring it to say something smart-assed. For once, it was silent.

"There…" D trailed off, swallowing hard. "There is still so much you don't know."

"So tell me," Leon said. "Fucking promise me you won't run off, and then tell me. We don't gotta get married right this second." Which they probably shouldn't, anyway, because his brain was telling him that he was going to need a lot more information about this not-being-human-thing.

"My family," D said, looking bleak, and shaking his head. "My father. Worse, my grandfather…they would never condone…"

"Holy fuck, D!" Leon bellowed, feeling like his voice came up through the floor just like the dragon's. "So what? I haven't seen hide nor hair of your grandpa in two fucking years! You gonna let that change your mind? Don't you get it? This is it. This is our life, D, and it's not gonna last forever -- " At least, Leon's wasn't, and now that he thought about it, he didn't know about D, but they could talk about that later, " -- weird shit or not, this is the big one, the big time, the only chance we get!"

"Leon," D said, and quickly altered it to, "Mr. Detective…" but Leon could see him wavering.

He stepped forward. Close enough to D to smell that trace of perfume. He whispered, "You know what you never said? That you don't want to. That you don't give a shit about me. You never said any of that." Right then, the longing in D's eyes was so naked that Leon forgot about humans and dragons and grandfathers and everything else, for just a second or two. "So, come on. You showed me all this shit. I'm still here. Like I said I'd be."

"…stubborn…" D whispered, the only word his voice could hold on to.

"Just tell me something, okay," Leon said, dropping his voice low so that anybody else would have to strain to hear him. "Do you want to say yes?"

D looked trapped, lost, scared. All that. Leon still didn't let up.

"Come on. Yes or no. This is just me you're talking to here, this is just you and me. Would you say yes if it wasn't for your family? Would you?"

D looked beseechingly into Leon's eyes, like he was trying to find some answer in them that would get him out of this. Leon looked right back, and reached forward, and took D by the arms. At the touch of his hands, D shuddered, and his eyes fluttered shut. He made a soft, breathless noise. Leon didn't realize it was meant to be a word until D said it again, a second later, a fraction louder.

"…Yes."

All of a sudden, Leon could breathe again. "So…that's something," he said, hearing his voice shake. His palms were sweating and probably messing up D's silky sleeves. He still couldn't let go. He couldn't believe D had admitted it, either. "I…we can work with that, right? If -- "

D reached out then, and grabbed Leon by his forearms so they were holding on to each other. He kept staring at Leon's chest as he said, with difficulty, "Detective. I said yes."

"I know you said -- " Leon started, and then stopped, as his brain went 'ping.' "Uh…"

"Yes," D repeated, more loudly, his body starting to shake like it was in a strong wind. "If -- once we have discussed -- if you still wish -- this madness -- " He sagged forward, and rested his head against Leon's chest. He had to be able to feel Leon's heart pounding at a mile a minute in there. And then he whispered, so quietly that nobody but Leon could hear, "I cannot…you must be the one to end this, now. I cannot. I concede." A shudder ran through his body, and then into Leon's and down into the ground, like lightning. "I am yours."

Just like that. He'd said yes, just like that. Leon realized his hands were squeezing D's arms tight enough to crack the bones of an ordinary person. He couldn't think of a goddamn thing to say in response. But for the first time since starting the tour, this didn't feel like a dream. D under his hands felt real. Warmly, amazingly real. "I," he croaked, "you -- "

"Gosh, I love a happy ending," Kanan said, and they both turned to look up at her. Shuko and Junrei were silently watching her, as well. "So, the wedding's on?"

It took Leon a second to say, "L-l-looks that way." Chris gasped and clapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes starting to shine with happiness for the first time all night.

"If Mr. Orcot does not change his mind," D whispered, still clutching and being clutched by Leon. "If my grandfather does not learn of this and interfere. If -- "

"Then quick -- let me give you your first gift," Kanan interrupted. "Protection from your grandfather. For the rest of your lives."

"What do you -- " D began, but then, right before their eyes, Kanan's neck cracked forward like a whip, and Leon saw about two seconds' worth of three-inch long razor-sharp teeth rending the air right before her jaws closed down on Q-chan with a snap and a squeak. Then she threw her head back, the shining column of her throat rippling in the low light as she swallowed.

"Q-chan!" D shrieked right in Leon's ear, and his fists curled into Leon's shirt, tearing it with his long nails. Before he knew it, Leon had yanked Chris behind him again, and kept one arm wrapped tight around D's shoulder as he yelled, "What the fuck? You ate his pet, you ate his goddamn pet?" He looked down at D, expecting him to add his two cents too, but D's face was whiter than it had been all evening -- that was saying something, considering -- and he was swaying. Leon wondered if he might actually faint.

"What the hell was that about?" he roared, not caring if it was a stupid idea to yell at something as big as a house and with teeth to match. "I thought you said you wanted us to do this!"

Shuko! Chris called desperately. Shuko, make Kanan give Q-chan back!

"I cannot," Shuko said. "And if you knew what we know, you would not ask us to do such a thing."

"It really was a gift," Junrei piped up. "Although we're sorry, Count, really, we didn't want to upset you…"

"I'm not sorry," Kanan said.

"Q-chan," D whispered. Leon couldn't see his face anymore, since the side of his head was pressed to Leon's chest for support, but he sounded ghastly. He did manage to uncurl one hand from Leon's shirt, though, and raised it shakily towards the dragon before letting it fall limply down again. "If…how could you? If you disapprove…to take it out on an innocent creature…why not simply…" For real, Leon thought. He'd never liked Q-chan, and he knew that had been mutual, but the little batbunny had always been real good about looking out for D. And D had been nuts about it, too.

"We do not disapprove," Shuko said. "As I just explained, if you wish to pursue this union, you have our support, and that of King Gidora. To such an extent that we are willing to shield you from the consequences of your grandfather's considerable anger."

Chris was crying again, and hiding his face in Leon's side. D was still slack in shock. "I don't understand," he pleaded.

"Your little pal was no real pal," Kanan said. "He was -- "

" -- a spy," Shuko interjected smoothly. "He reported your every move to your grandfather. Undoubtedly fond of you in his own way, but your interests never came first. He would have betrayed and destroyed you for this, even though you are acting for the best, and all because of your grandfather's inflexibility."

"We've known for a long time," Junrei added. "Kanan figured it out first. But we thought maybe we better not say anything, until we dreamed of King Gidora."

"Bwuh?" Leon said, which wasn't all that helpful. Chris sniffled, pulled away from Leon and wiped his eyes, looking confused.

"A spy?" D asked weakly.

Shuko's eyes were fathomless and full of stuff she wasn't saying. Leon wondered if he was the only one who could see that. "He knew nothing that your grandfather did not also know."

"Oh," was all D could say.

"But wait a minute," Leon said, patting Chris's head with one hand and keeping a firm grip on D with the other, "won't Grandpa notice he's missing? How is eating the bunny gonna keep us safe?"

"We have promised you protection," Shuko said, sounding irritable for the first time. Her eyes were boring into Leon now, telling him clear as day: Don't ask questions. "I tell you that you will be safe from Count D's grandfather forever, and I will thank you to take my word for it. He will not trouble you."

Kanan burped.

"Was your pet so dear to you, Count," Shuko added, looking at D again, "that you would sacrifice both your mate and your child to have him?"

"I…" D swallowed hard. Then he closed his eyes. "No." Huh. Leon could tell he was hurting -- in the space of two minutes he'd lost a pet, and then found out the pet hadn't even been his friend, which had to suck -- but at least he had his damn priorities straight. That was a first.

D took a deep breath, and looked like he was trying to calm down. "Tell me something else," he said, and Leon knew he didn't want to think anymore about Q-chan right this second, "because, I confess, the timing of all this seems extraordinary to me. How did King Gidora know of our…circumstances?" He glanced up at Leon, and then back at Honlon. "How did he know to send you three a dream?"

"There was powerful magic in the banner you wove, Count," Junrei said softly.

D's jaw dropped.

"Well, what'd you expect? You spent all night and day on it," Kanan added.

D squeaked.

Leon felt an enormous grin starting to stretch his face. He glanced down at D. "All night and day, huh?" D glared fiercely at him, and his cheeks bloomed red. Bright red.

"You are tired," Shuko said, "and so are we. You interrupted our slumber. And poor Chris is dead on his feet…" Leon and D looked at Chris, who shook his head and tried gamely to appear alert, but his eyes were red, and he looked about ready to drop.

"Yes," D said, trying hard to sound normal. "Yes. Now is the time for rest. We will…Detective Orcot and I will discuss these matters further in the morning."

"Do so," Shuko said and, Leon could have sworn, smiled. If dragons could smile. "A new future lies before you, Count D, and for the first time in generations, it has hope in it. Consider well."

D just nodded, looking like he was finally all talked out. Leon wondered what time it was. He'd lost all sense of it. It was probably morning already. And he was supposed to be at work today, but right now, he didn't give a damn, because some things were more important than punching the clock.

They staggered down the hall, all three of them, with the animals all peering out from behind an infinite succession of doorways. D shooed Chris through one door, where the raccoon rushed out to greet him and tug him inside, and then rested his hand against another door across the hall. He turned to face Leon. The blush had finally died down. "Are you…would you…"

"I'm staying," Leon said. He still couldn't quite believe that if he left now, D wouldn't up and fly away, or do whatever it was he did to 'move the shop.' Nothing could surprise him, after tonight. He followed D into a bedroom that looked fit for an ancient emperor, with a bed that was almost the size of Leon's apartment. "Holy…" He glanced at D. "I'm marrying up, huh?"

D didn't rise to the bait. Instead, even though he had to be exhausted, he looked sort of shy. "That remains to be seen, does it not?" he murmured. "We have much to talk about."

"God." Leon's shoulders slumped just thinking about it. "Later?"

"Later," D agreed, and looked at the bed again. His cheeks went pink.

"No funny stuff," Leon said, saving them both the embarrassment. "I'm fucking bushed."

D's blush went away, replaced by a haughty glare. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"Great." Leon flopped down on the bed, yanked his shoes off, and tossed his jacket to the side. D vanished behind an elaborate lattice-work screen in the corner of the room, and Leon heard the swish of silk being traded for more silk. He wondered why the hell you needed a screen like that if you were usually the only person in your bedroom, and then he wondered something else.

He scooted back until he lay down among the many plush pillows, feeling himself go boneless against the perfect mattress. God. He could get used to this. He fought to keep from falling asleep instantly. "D," he called out, hesitantly. "Uh…I was wondering…"

D emerged from behind the screen, dressed in a pale blue sleep-robe that didn't look all that different from the dress he'd just changed out of. He didn't look so hot -- his eyes were haunted with confusion and sorrow, and his mouth didn't have the usual sly curve to it.

Leon still ached, looking at him. Good thing he really was wiped.

"Yes?" D asked, gliding towards the bed, and lying down stiffly on the half that Leon wasn't occupying. Leon hoped they slept well together. It was always weird, sharing a bed with somebody else when you were used to sleeping alone. He hoped D wasn't a kicker.

Leon looked up at the ceiling, because he wasn't sure he could look D in the eye for this one. "You, uh…" he swallowed hard. "You said you didn't like humans."

"Correct," D said tightly. "But surely that can wait until morni -- "

"So does that mean," Leon continued doggedly, "I mean, you know -- have you ever -- " He finally looked at D, gestured at the space between their bodies on the bed. "With a human? Or with anybody?"

It was D's turn to stare up at the ceiling, clasping his hands together across his middle protectively. "Certainly not," he said, his voice clipped and defensive. "Why should I have? It was not necessary."

Leon rolled his eyes, and without further ado, reached out and hauled D into his arms. D gasped and went rigid. 'Not necessary'? Jesus. But later. "I said no funny stuff," Leon grunted. "Just go to sleep."

He closed his eyes deliberately and tried to make his breathing even out. After a second, D relaxed a fraction, and then a fraction more. After five seconds, he even rested his cheek on Leon's shoulder.

"Good night, Detective," he whispered, his breath fanning softly against Leon's ear.

Leon tried to say goodnight too, but suspected it only came out as another grunt before he fell fast asleep.

---