Author's Note: Holy crap! I went to a site called "bear tracker" something, and played the audio of a female cougar in heat. Creepiest sound ever!

"I have never felt so alone in my life. Annabelle died in childbirth, leaving me with a grandson to raise, and I've no idea what to do. There's been no word from Jacob. I fear he's dead, probably without ever having received my letters telling him he was going to be a father..."

--excerpt from the private journal of Ephraim Barton

Smoky Hills Part 30
Solitude

Heero was a bit surprised at how very empty the farm felt without Trowa there. While he still had the dogs and birds, as well as Leon, the house seemed hollow with his brother away. He wondered if it had felt that way to Trowa when he'd been out all day on errands, although, he'd at least been back by the end of each day. Trowa wasn't due back for several.

Heero put the time to good use, braving the slightly musty basement in order to do a thorough inspection of the plumbing and heating system. He figured they'd have to have a furnace person out to clean and prep the thing, but if he'd given it a once-over, he'd have a fair idea of how extensive their work might be.

He found that the most time-consuming part was just making sure the clutter was cleared out to allow access to the furnace and attached plumbing. It took him nearly a whole day to haul out boxes of old magazines, kindling, and assorted chipped dishes that the previous inhabitant had apparently been reluctant to part with.

Between that task, and then painting another of the bedrooms, which could eventually become a guest room, if they bought furniture for it, he kept busy for the better part of the weekend, and the time fairly flew past.

But when Trowa called on Sunday evening, it was still nice to hear a human voice.

"Hey, 'Ro--how's it going?"

"Fine," he said, feeding Wing and Zero bits of pasta off his plate as he settled the phone in the crook of his neck. "Leon's been quiet. Thor and Balder haven't chewed up any furniture, and your bird learned a new swear word."

"He did? I thought I taught him all of them," came the amused response.

"Apparently not."

"Gonna tell me what he learned?"

"I think I'll let him surprise you." Heero tickled Wing under the chin and the myna bird chuckled happily. "So, how'd it go with the lioness?"

"She's great!" Trowa said enthusiastically. "Sweet as can be--a real pussycat to handle."

"No pun intended?"

"Of course not." Trowa paused, and Heero frowned, wondering what he was hesitating over. "Hey, Catherine had an idea. She wants to take me back to Sanc with her for a couple of days, to see the gang at the circus--seeing as we have to pass pretty near it to get home."

Heero was on the verge of saying he thought it was a bad idea--that it would be too much traveling for his newly-recovered roommate. But then he forcibly reminded himself that was all up to Trowa. "I see," he said simply.

"I thought maybe I could stop by the permit office as well, and try to speed things up a bit," Trowa added. "It'd be better for me to talk to Zechs, I think."

Heero snorted. "No shit." He looked around the quiet kitchen, trying to come up with a way to say he missed Trowa without actually saying it. "So, any idea when you might get back?"

"Sometime Thursday most likely. Does that sound okay?"

"Fine."

"You don't sound thrilled," Trowa said perceptively. "Getting protective again?"

"It's not that--"

"Is it the work?" Trowa asked, his tone shifting to an apologetic one. "I'm sorry to have dumped Leon and everything on you--and after all you've done for me--"

"Trowa," Heero snapped sternly, gaining his attention and cutting off the ramble. "It's not that either. Not at all. I don't mind caring for Leon. He's been great."

"Oh." There was a long pause, and then a soft snicker. "Miss me?"

Heero winced as his brother hit the nail on the head. "In your dreams," he said snidely. "I've been so busy I hardly noticed you're gone--except when I don't have to set a second place at the table. And frankly, Thor and Balder offered to take your spot."

"They would," Trowa said with an audible grin. "I miss you, too," he said warmly. "I miss your cooking a lot. All those healthy meals were actually damn tasty. And you're pretty good company, for a sour-tempered ex-cop." There was another short pause and then, "Say--any news from Chang about the skeleton?"

"Not a word. But it's only been a week, and I'm assuming he's got other, more urgent cases on the table as well."

"True," Trowa agreed. "I take it Thor hasn't dug up any more trouble."

"Not a bit. But then, I've kept our walks closer to home, and just taken one dog at a time," Heero told him. "I prefer to stay within hearing distance of Leon."

"Good idea. Speaking of which, have the cops been back out?"

"No, although if I were in their place, I'd probably be more suspicious of myself than they act. I mean, right after they showed up wanting to look around, you and I managed to locate the rest of the skeleton--far away from the house. If I were them, that would make me kind of curious."

"Maybe they're running a background check on us even as we speak," Trowa suggested.

"Could be. Or maybe Chang browbeat them so completely they don't dare question us," Heero speculated.

"I doubt that," Trowa mused. "Seeing as he was the one who pushed them into a full-scale investigation. It's more likely that being in a small town, dealing with nothing but petty crimes and speeding tickets, has made them more relaxed about that stuff." Trowa gave a chuckle. "Besides, as you pointed out to them, you'd hardly have brought them a bone in the first place, if you were trying to hide a crime."

"True." Heero frowned thoughtfully, pushing his plate aside and leaning back in his chair. "I don't know. Maybe they're right to be casual about this. Maybe there really is a reasonable explanation for the skeleton."

"Can you think of one?"

Heero pictured the location of the body, recalling how far it was off State land--off the beaten path. "Not really," he admitted.

"Me neither," Trowa agreed. "So stick to your guns. You said if they fumble the investigation, you'll step in. I expect you to do it, if the time comes."

"Yeah, I will," Heero sighed, knowing he couldn't sit by if the local police didn't do their job on the investigation.

"Good. Hey listen, Cathy and I are about to stop for the night, so I gotta go."

"Hey wait!" Heero said quickly. "Should I be expecting you two to pull in here with a lion transport in tow?"

"Not just yet," Trowa told him. "The paperwork is all filed, but it'll take a couple of weeks for processing, and for the letters of reference from Cathy and her veterinarian to be checked out. Then she'll deliver Sandy when we say we're ready."

"The caging looks good," Heero assured him. "And I started clearing out some small saplings and underbrush for the outside enclosures we'll need. We can have permanent housing for her and Leon finished up before winter. No more of the temporary setup in the barn."

"Great. Heero--" Trowa hesitated, and his voice got a little husky. "You are seriously the best brother, and the best friend a guy could have. You know that, right?"

Heero smiled despite himself. "Yeah, I do," he said gently. "You've said it more than enough times. And the feeling's mutual."

They said their goodbyes then, and Heero felt a little less isolated as he washed the dishes and tidied up the kitchen.

After his usual evening walk, he read for awhile, and then decided to turn in early. He made the rounds, checking on Leon and letting the dogs have a final potty break, before locking the birds in their cages for the night, locking up the house and heading for bed. He was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

~*~

It had been days since Heero had a nightmare, and he was just beginning to drift down that disturbing path, when something woke him.

He sat up sharply, one hand flailing out and settling on Thor's head, as the big hound was standing beside his bed, hackles raised as he looked out the window.

"What's the matter, boy?" he asked.

But just as he started to stroke the shaggy head, there was a shrill scream from somewhere out in the forest--a scream so unearthly that it made the small hairs on the back of Heero's neck stand up.

Thor and Balder instantly ran to the window, barking madly at whatever had made the noise, and then the unmistakable sound of Leon's roar momentarily drowned them out.

"Fuck!" Heero blurted, throwing off his covers and grabbing for a bathrobe to throw over the tee shirt and boxers he'd slept in. He flicked on the light switch and shoved his feet into some shoes, before hurrying down the hall.

Thor and Balder were on his heels and then rushing ahead down the stairs to leap at the front door, barking and scrabbling to get out.

"No!" he snapped, grabbing a flashlight and shoving the dogs aside, so he could step out onto the porch alone.

He didn't want the dogs bursting out of the house and running headlong into a fray with some wild animal; so he pulled the door shut behind him shining the flashlight towards the barn.

The beam of light shone on an empty yard, but Heero caught a flicker of motion at the farthest edges of illumination--something pale that kept to the darkest shadows as it slipped towards the thick underbrush behind the barn.

"What the--?" Heero hesitated as Leon roared again, wanting to pursue the interloper, but smart enough to know better than to dash out into the darkness unarmed. "Hang on, Leon," he called, before stepping back inside and flipping on the porch lights, as well as the ones along the walkway out to the barn.

Thor and Balder were still bounding restlessly around, barking and scrabbling across the wooden floors, wanting to get outside. Heero decided maybe if he let them into their fenced yard, they'd make enough fuss to keep the intruder from coming back. So he walked them through the kitchen and opened the door, turning on the light out there as well.

The dogs immediately ran to the fence, barking madly at whatever creature they heard or smelled out in the forest, and Heero gave a grim smile, feeling confident that the ruckus would keep it from coming back any time soon. He headed back through the house, grabbing the cane that Trowa had left in the kitchen, and holding it like a club as he once again stepped out onto the porch.

There was no sign of life in the yard this time, and Heero walked quickly over to the barn, opening the side door and turning on the lights inside, so he could check on Leon.

The big lion was pacing restlessly, a low growl rumbling from his chest as he looked around his domain.

"Relax. It's gone," Heero said soothingly. He knew the lion wouldn't understand his words; but Trowa had said talking in a quiet, reassuring tone would help calm him down.

Leon ignored him completely, too fixated on the recent intruder to pay any attention to the man standing by the door.

"Leon," Heero said a bit more forcefully.

The animal knew its name, and the stern tone was enough to earn Heero a brief glance.

"Easy, big guy. It's all gone now. And your buddy Trowa will be back in a couple of days, with arrangements made for your new girlfriend to come live with you. How's that sound?" Heero walked closer, and the big, golden eyes fixed on him as Leon stopped pacing. "You like that, huh?" Heero asked. "You like the idea of company."

Leon let out a low, distressed sound, and then sat down, looking at his caretaker as if to ask for more reassurance.

"Wish you could tell me what I saw out there," Heero said with a frown. "If the scream came from that, no wonder you're a nervous wreck." He smiled ruefully. "So am I." He thought back to Duo's warning about bears and other wild animals, hoping that Leon's presence hadn't lured in one of the mountain lions that were rumored to inhabit the hills.

"It would make sense, though," he said aloud, shaking his head and walking over to the meat locker to take out something to distract and occupy Leon for the rest of the night. "After your serenade last weekend, maybe a lonely mountain lion is looking for company too."

He tossed the snack into the pen, and Leon grabbed it eagerly, settling down to gnaw on the treat while Heero checked to make sure all the windows were still secure. It only took a few minutes, and then the Japanese man decided he could lock up again and return to the house. He was tempted to look around for tracks or something to confirm what he might have seen; but he thought it would be better to wait until morning, when he'd have more than the feeble illumination of a single flashlight.

"Go back to sleep, Leon," he advised as he headed out. "I know that's what I'm going to do."

Thor and Balder had quieted down, by the time Heero went to the back door to call them in, and they came right over, apparently as happy to return to bed as he was.

He thought he might have trouble falling back asleep after the upheaval, but surprisingly drifted off shortly after curling back up under the warm quilt. Fortunately, he didn't dream again.

~*~

When morning came, he went through his normal routine--feeding the dogs, birds and Leon, and then himself, and taking Balder for a morning run--before he pursued his investigation of the midnight intruder.

But as soon as he circled around the back of the barn, he saw enough tracks to convince him the animal had lingered for quite awhile there.

The tracks were four-toed, with a very distinct pad-print in the middle, and when Heero put a hand over one, it was a bit larger than his palm. So whatever he'd seen had been a big animal. And considering Leon's presence, he was fairly convinced it was a mountain lion.

He wished there were someone who could look at the tracks and tell him for sure, but he'd heard enough at the grocery store and around town to know mountain lions were a hotly debated topic, and that inquiring about them would probably get him laughed at--again.

Much as he'd ignored the taunting about the bone he'd found, it had stung nonetheless. And he didn't feel like opening himself up to more ridicule--let alone drawing attention to the farm while the permit for Leon was still not finalized.

But just because he couldn't ask for a second opinion, that didn't mean he couldn't pursue a lead on his own. He was perfectly capable of logging on to the internet at some point, to get information on animal tracks.

With that decided, Heero resumed his work around the farm. He had yet to finish the porch he'd begun sanding and painting back before the bone-finding incident; so he tackled that chore again, figuring that while Trowa was away, he could work on the sections they used the most, and simply go in and out through the kitchen entrance.

He worked all day, and then after supper decided to spend some time on-line, just to satisfy his curiosity sooner rather than later.

But after logging on to the dial-up connection and clicking on the first web site that came up on a search, he knew it was going to be an exercise in futility. First there was a problem loading the page, and he had to backtrack to the search engine again. Then, when he tried another site, the connection failed altogether.

"This is bullshit!" he hissed in exasperation, trying the dial-up again, only to get another error message. At this rate, he could spend all night trying to identify a single track. "Dammit, Trowa, when you get back we are going to look into at least a satellite hookup. Seriously."

In the meantime, he still wanted some answers, and in the absence of his preferred method of research, he decided he could fall back on the tried and true. Duo had mentioned a library that day in the grocery store. They'd almost certainly have a book on animal tracks or the local flora and fauna.

Heero looked at the clock on the wall, wondering how late the place might be open, and then decided not to waste time looking up the number and calling. It was high time he got out for a bit anyway. So he hopped in the car and headed into downtown Smoky Hills.

Downtown.

Heero had to chuckle as he drove, trying to imagine the rural town as a bustling metropolis with what he'd consider a "downtown." It was so far off, it was almost ludicrous.

Instead of busy streets, there was a center green, with some kind of Civil War statue and a quaint brick sidewalk leading up to it. Aside from a few shops, the grocery store, an auto parts place, and a pharmacy, there was little in the way of retail outlets. But there was a small complex housing the police department, town hall, and public works department. And right next to that was a sign for the Smoky Hills Public Library.

Heero decided the library was housed in what was probably a genuine, original historical building, as he pulled into the five-car parking lot. He tried not to sigh as he took the only empty space, wondering if the other four cars belonged to employees, or if it was a particularly "busy" night.

He suppressed a grin at the thought, as he climbed the steps onto the painted porch and pulled open the massive oak door to let himself in.

"Can I help you?" asked a grey-haired woman behind the check-out desk.

He was tempted to tell her that yes, she could--she could direct him to a real library. But instead, he shook his head. "Just browsing. I'm new to town."

"Yes, I know," she said brightly. "You must be Mister Yuy, since you don't look much like a Barton."

Again he bit his tongue, wondering what she'd make of it if he told her Trowa was his brother. No need to explain their link was only maternal.

"Will I need to fill something out for a library card?" he asked, figuring he might as well get it over with.

She smiled and handed over a form and a pen. "Just fill in the blanks, and if you could show me a driver's license or something, that'll be fine."

He went through the process and was given a small paper card, with a metal tab on it. He smirked as he tucked it into his pocket, thinking that Trowa was going to bust a gut when he showed it to him.

"This is the main floor," the woman told him. "Card catalogs are over that way. Children's books are downstairs and reference upstairs. Everything else is on this floor." She gestured towards the floor to ceiling book shelves that gave the building a somewhat maze-like appearance.

He paused, letting a disappointed gaze sweep the area. Not that he'd expected state-of-the-art facilities in a town like Smoky Hills, but he'd hoped for at least a computerized card catalog.

Instead, there were wooden pull-out drawers in an ancient cabinet, and books were listed by author, title, and subject.

"At least they have the Dewey decimal system," he muttered, shaking his head, and heading over to begin his search.

He went straight to the subject listings, choosing animal tracks as the most likely source, and found only one book listed, "Wildlife of the Northwest Hills." He memorized the number and started walking among the rows of shelves, looking for the location of the book.

When he got there, however, the spot was empty.

"Shit." He scowled, shifting his gaze from "Pets for Every Household," to "Plant Life of New England."

"Can I help you find something--? Oh, hi Mister Yuy!"

He looked up to see the blonde postmaster at the end of the aisle, just about to slip a book back onto the shelf. "Hello."

Quatre popped the book into place, smiling in greeting. "Were you looking for a particular book?" He nodded towards where Heero's hand rested against the shelf.

Heero blinked in surprise. "You work here?"

"No, not really," Quatre replied with a grin. "The post office is a full-time job. But I volunteer here a couple of nights a week. Sometimes I help in the archives--but when there are books to shelve, I lend a hand with that, too." He waved the book in his other hand. "Last one."

"Ah." Heero glanced at the empty spot where the book he sought should have been. "Would you know where 'Wildlife of the Northwest Hills' might be found?"

"Oh." Quatre ducked his head, looking a bit sheepish. "I checked that out a few days ago."

"Really?" Heero raised an eyebrow. "You're interested in wildlife?"

"I'm--looking for some rather specific information," Quatre said with a shrug. "Duo and I went camping the weekend before last, and I heard some animal sounds I couldn't identify."

"What kind of sounds?"

Quatre looked down at his shoes, shifting uncomfortably. "Just some sort of--calls--in the middle of the night. Probably near your place--or at least around the reservoir."

"Calls?"

"I thought it might have been a mountain lion, since Duo swears he's seen one, but from how he described their screams, it wasn't the right sound."

Heero was about to say he'd heard something as well, when he realized Quatre must be talking about Leon's first midnight serenade--a week ago Saturday. His eyes widened, and Quatre hastened to reassure him.

"Don't worry too much about big cats out here. Although occasionally someone claims to have seen one, those stories are few and far between. If they even are out there, they're very scattered. I can imagine why one would come near humans anyway. From everything I've read, they're very secretive and solitary."

"I'm not worried," Heero said quickly, not sure whether to be relieved people might mistake Leon's cries for a wild animal, or nervous that someone had heard them at all. And he didn't want to have to explain to Quatre that there might have been a mountain lion right there in his barnyard, drawn by an African lion's serenade.

He opted for a neutral sort of explanation. "As a matter of fact, I caught of glimpse of something I was hoping to identify. That's why I was looking for the book." He gave Quatre his most innocent look. "But since you say there actually are mountain lions in the area, it might explain it."

"It might." Quatre grinned, thinking that Duo would be delighted that the good-looking Japanese man was interested in wildlife, and not skeptical of the mountain lion rumors. And while he was on the subject, he thought maybe he should do some information gathering for his friend. "So--do you like the outdoors?"

Heero nodded. "I haven't camped out much--not unless summer camp counts. But I run every day."

"Yes, I remember," Quatre purred, mentally checking off things Duo and Heero might have in common. "What other activities do you enjoy?" he asked hopefully.

Heero frowned at the eager gleam in the blue eyes, wondering if the handsome postmaster was interested in him. That would be awful. Trowa would be devastated. Or at least royally pissed off.

"Actually, as busy as I've been with looking after Trowa and working on the house, I haven't had time for many other pursuits," he said coolly, hoping to discourage Quatre's interest.

"Oh." Quatre eyed him curiously. "But you must have some hobbies?"

This time his inquiry came off as a bit coy, even if it wasn't what he was trying for.

Heero shrugged. "Not really. At least, not around here." He decided nipping any potential interest Quatre might have for him in the bud was his best course of action. "Back in Sanc, I went to the gym or out to dinner or a show now and then. There was a lot more to do there." He gave a slightly contemptuous smile--one he'd learned from Wufei back in the day. "It's very--isolated--out here."

"Yes, it is," Quatre conceded. "I'm originally from Sanc myself. But I really like the peaceful atmosphere here."

Heero gave a rather disdainful sniff, again learned from his former lover. "Peaceful? I'd have said 'stagnant.'"

"You--don't like it here?" Quatre hazarded, feeling his hopes plummet at the negative attitude Heero seemed to take.

"I'm only here because of Trowa," Heero said honestly.

"Oh." Quatre wasn't sure how to interpret that statement. Did it mean Heero was Trowa's significant other--or merely a caretaker of some sort? "So will you be going back to Sanc once Trowa's back on his feet?"

Quatre was rather proud of the question, since it should clearly indicate how close the two men were.

But Heero just shrugged noncommittally. "That depends on Trowa."

"I see," Quatre muttered, not seeing at all.

It sounded like Heero hated Smoky Hills, but would stay as long as his roommate--? Friend--? Lover--?

"If you could point me to the historical section--?" Heero went on quickly, seeing the disappointed gleam in the blue eyes. "I thought I'd pick up a basic history of Smoky Hills for Trowa."

"That's--very thoughtful of you," Quatre said with a wan smile. "It's right over there against the wall."

"Thank you." Heero walked quickly away, determined not to encourage Quatre in the least.

And he vowed that the moment Trowa got back, he was going to make the man grab the phone and call Quatre. Perhaps once the blonde knew his brother was interested, he'd drop any notion of being attracted to Heero. And even if he didn't, at that point Heero could come right out and say that he did not reciprocate any feelings, and that Quatre would be better off focusing his attention on Trowa, who did.

"Why is this shit so complicated?" Heero sighed, grabbing the first title he saw that seemed like it would cover the early history of the hill town, and making his escape before he could cross paths with the postmaster again.

TBC...

 

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