Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:13:35 EDT
From: J
Subject: DOCTOR WHO, JESSE AND JEREMY 66

Collinwood stands at night,  a candle light coming from the closed East Wing...
"My name is Jeremy Sumpter  and my journey has only just begun, a journey
which will hopefully link my past  with my future as I and my lover Jesse
McCartney search for the Doctor, our  other lover, in a time that seems long ago to
me, a time when the dark shadows  of the night seem to even intrude on the hot
summer days gone by where gay  people were not allowed to be as open as they
are currently...a time in a small  town in Maine. Collinwood stands erect in the
year 1976, the bicentennial to  most, with the Fourth of July only a four days
away, June 30th arises  as does a sea of faces set within, anyone of  who's
possessors may be the regenerated  and memory lost Doctor...and as we search for
the Doctor, it doesn't escape me  that there are other unworldly and other
worldly things happening around  us...events that may bring us further from finding
the Doctor and closer to the  very heart of fear..."
In the Tower Room, Jeremy  looked at the painting. He knew instinctively that
this man that the wolf man  had become was a Collins family member. "Which
one though?"  He wondered.
A pair of eyes were  watching him. Floating in the ether. A blond woman. Her
incredible laughter  filled the room. Jeremy looked up, "You..."  he said
lowly, intimidated, "you don't scare me..."   But she did. Whoever or whatever  was
laughing...and then another female laugh joined the first one. "You both don't
 scare me."   He held the candle  upward and squinted to see if he could spot
anyone or anything. The laughing  continued so he left the room and headed
down the steps toward the East Wing.  "Fucking 238 steps..."
As he ran down the steps,  he kept looking behind him, turning his head at
times, turning his upper body at  other times. He felt he was being watched by a
multitude of  beings, unsure as to what they were,  besides ghosts...He kept
his body close to the brick wall and kept moving  downward. Figures seemed to
follow him. Yet, each time he turned, there was no  one there. The female
laughter seemed to lower in tone and intensity. He  wondered at the idea that there
was more than one female laughing at him. "Let  em laugh,"  he said as he
tried to  protect his candle flame from extinguishing.  He swallowed and looked
behind him and  then turned around fully.  "WHO are  you?"  He held the candle
up toward  the figure.
In their room adjoining  David's, Jesse stirred. He had slept soundly up to
now.  He reached over for someone.  "Jer...Doc...."  He blinked the sleep  out of
his eyes and swallowed. This house, he thought, was quiet enough for
sleeping soundly.   He had  noticed maybe one TV in the entire house that he'd seen
thus far.  And old record players and radios.   Jesse sat on the side of the
bed  and decided to get dressed and look for Jeremy. It was then he felt the
presence  of someone standing at the foot of the bed. He looked over at David. "
David?  What are...?"
"I can't help it. I can't  help myself..."
"What do you  mean?"
"I saw...I saw that...what you  did with...I was watching..."
Jesse swallowed. "Oh, that.  We know. We knew. It ...it's okay, guy."   Jesse
made his way on the bed  without standing up. He was still fluidly naked.
"You...you're not wearing  any...any..."
Jesse looked at him and  snuggled up close to the boy in the PJs. "Oh, I
know. It's okay. You don't have  to be afraid..."
"I...I'm not. I'm  strangely...not..."
"David..."   Jesse gulped. He knew that what  Jeremy said about this time was
true...it was not as open as 2007 and even in that  year, there were those
against gays...even some gays themselves. Enmeshed in self  loathing and even those
who hated certain types of  gays. "I..."  He put his arm around David's
shoulder,  bringing the shoulder closest to him to his side.  "I can put some clothes
on if you  want."
"No, please don't..."  David blushed and looked him in the eyes  for the
first time. "I am. You know. That way."
"David. It's all right,  really."    Jesse said,  "Surely, you've heard of
..."
"Yes. But I've never. I  mean there's this guy but we haven't even. I think
he likes me, too  but..."
"This isn't the dark ages  even if it is 1976. I know things are more
secretive and gays are not as behind  open...I mean..."  He shut his eyes, "I  can't
believe I said that. I meant  not as open...you know what I mean."
David laughed, "I've  never...you know, done anything. I'm not sure how..."
Jesse was opening David's  PJ bottoms and pulling the tight waist band down.
He lowered his head to David's  other head. He looked up, "I can show you...or
I can  stop..."
David smiled, "Please  don't..."  He put his head up and shut  his eyes. Then
he looked down. "Oh but what about  Jeremy...?"
"Jeremy and I have an open  relationship. We love each other deeply as we do
the Doctor. Our lost friend.  But we are all three of us free to love others...
in any way we so  choose."
"That sounds...nice..."   David gasped as Jesse lowered his  thick boy lips to
prick. Jesse put his mouth, wet, over David's head and found a  way to stop
there and lick his tongue over the head, letting his mouth inch off  and then on
again. This gave David's sperm the air it needed to gather and the  pre cum
was there in a flash. It pooled up on the head and stayed there until  Jesse
licked it with just the barely tip of his tongue. This made electric jolts
shake David and he gulped. Inadvertently, he also found himself  unbuttoning his
pajama top to reveal a  finely toned chest, pert and bumped out nipples, and a
pale but smooth body all  over. He had beauty marks along his chest and sides,
and some freckles along his  chest, ribs, and sides.
"Oh, you're  beautiful,"   Jesse gasped,  "Just beautiful...mmpgghff."  He
put  his mouth over the head and wetted it up some more and used the pre cum
that  came out to wet down the under sides of the head and then proceeded down
as he  bent on the bed. David jerked up and made it easier for Jesse to suck
his  dick.
"Th...th--th--anks...yanks!"   David jerked his whole body up and  his shoulders
went back a bit. His eyes shut, "Don't....don't ...don't stop...oh  damn!"
In the corridor at the end  of the  steps, Jeremy looked behind  him. He was
sure an army of ghosts or zombies had followed him down. He moved  off   down
the corridor toward  the way out. Jeremy's bare foot hit something wet on the
floor. He looked down  and saw seaweed, green and ugly, wet as though it had
just come from the sea.  Jeremy carefully reached down for it and lifted one
strand. Under the seaweed,  which he recalled was not there a moment ago when he
came down this corridor,  were two shoe prints.
A man's voice said, "Get  out. Get out now..."   The voice  was gruff and
masculine. Graveled. It sounded as if it came from a smoker, "Get  out! Get
out...while you can."
Jeremy stood up and looked  around the dilapidated hallway, "Why are you
trying to warn  me?"
"You! Your friends try to  give you clues to the Other. They do not know the
grave danger here at  Collinwood, at the house atop Widow's Hill. The Hill I
was killed  from..."
Jeremy squinted and thought  he saw the image of a man, a seaweed covered,
soaked man, it having emerged  straight out of the wall next to him. He turned
quickly toward it and jumped.  "Who are you?"
"My name does not  matter..."
The woman's laugh came  again and Jeremy jumped from that as well. The
laughter overtook the ghost man's  voice and it seemed to weaken his very image.
Jeremy could see the wall through  the man's translucent body. He held the candle
up to the man but it was too  late. The man vanished completely and even the
footprints were gone. He touched  the floor and it was dry. "Bone dry."   He
looked around and the female  laughter stopped again. He hurried back toward
the main section of the house,  looking back to make sure some specter was not
behind him. His tee shirt, which  he had been pulling on, thanks to
nervousness, was stretched to a point where it  had almost become a night gown like
affair. Even so, it didn't cover his  protruding dick and balls...
The blue female eyes  watched him go and the laughing started again...
Jeremy backed away from  where he thought the sounds were coming from. He
backed under an archway out. He  leaned against the wall with one hand, steadying
the candle with the other. A  wind blew and the candle went out and he
dropped the holder. He leaned back with  both hands. A brick wall. It opened. It was
some kind of secret passage. He fell  back and the brick wall closed. Jeremy
leaned on it to try to reopen it. It  wouldn't budge. He banged on it. "Help!
Let me out! Get me out! Hello! Hello!  David! Jesse! Help me!"   He  banged
on it but knew it would not open this way. He gave up his yelling and  banging
and turned to look at the new area he was in. Some kind of secret  passage
with cobwebs and a coat stand, sideways against a wall, an old  chandelier that
might have once graced the dining area or the great hallway he  had come from
or...he turned his head and as his eyes adjusted some more to the  darkness, he
saw in moonlight which came from a stained glass window...three  faceless
figures...Jeremy screamed...
Outside, the  waters crashed against the rocks and the  spray that  washed up
against them  and shot past the land seemed to try to reach the dark cloud
that was the house  of Collinwood...
As Jesse sucked his dick  and fondled his balls, David screamed. Jeremy
screamed but from fear. Then he  laughed. As did Jesse, when Jesse pulled out David'
s dick from his mouth. Jeremy  laughed, for he now realized, the three
figures were old manikins. Faceless.  Auton like. Arms posed in strange positions.
Androgynous. Someone that once  lived here must have used these human sized
figures to practice sewing on.  Jeremy moved over to them and put his arms around
one to feel up the chest from  behind. He laughed. "Now to find a way outta
here."   He rubbed the  chest...
Jesse's chest. Jesse let  David's cum shoot all over his own chest. "I never,
"  was David's gasping words over and over  as he cam over and over. Jesse
fondled balls with the very tips of his  fingers...left hand on David's right
ball, right hand on David's left ball.
Jesse softly said, "C'mon,  David, empty your fucking nuts! Show me whatcha
got!"
David did so. Jesse's chest  was covered with what looked like a wide canvass
of white. "Shit,"  David said, "That's fucking great!"       David  gasped
and it was over...or so it seemed. "Wow, that was amazing. You didn't have  to
do that. But I'm glad you did. I left food for you and Jeremy. I need to take
a shower and then later I'll meet you both in the kitchen for breakfast...
Jesse,  what?"
Jesse still had his mouth  over David's cummed out dick. He had swallowed it
all. Jesse looked up and his  eyebrows formed a vee like he was mean or
something but he sometimes turned from  loving to almost animalistic during sex.  He
had his mouth over David's flaccid  penis.
David looked worried,  "What...whaa...what're you doing?"
Jesse put his bare teeth on  David's dick and rubbed, feigning a bite.
David gasped as if in pain,  "No! Don't! Don't! You can't do that!"
Jesse nodded as if to say,  yeah I can and he made that vee with his eyebrows
and continued. David, despite  protestations, loved it. He looked down as his
dick re-grew...in Jesse's  mouth!
Later, the two were spent  and fell asleep.
Jeremy could swear the  manikins were moving. He kept turning to them to spot
their moments of movement  but he had to find a way out of  this locked area
of the giant mansion. He had opened a window but no one  was outside and his
voice didn't carry very far. He wondered if that was kind of  magic preventing
his voice from being heard by others. "Jesse, where are you?  Why aren't you
looking for me?"
When he awoke, Jesse  stroked the beautiful red hair of the young man. The
clock on the wall read 6:30  am. "So early..."   He smiled and  wondered where
Jeremy was. Jesse went to the shower area and left the door open.  He turned on
the shower and stepped inside. Jesse took a shower and David  sheepishly
waited for him, still in his PJs, now buttoned up to the neck. Jesse  was still
naked and as he dropped the towel to the bed, he saw the look on  David's face,  "
David, I thought you  were gonna go take a shower too and meet me in the
breakfast area...."    Naked, Jesse moved over to  David, who seemed to jump back
toward the adjoining door that was still left  open. "What? What is it, hon?"
"Don't call me hon,  okay?"
"All right..."  Jesse said cautiously.  He put his hands out but then brought
them back to his sides after picking up the towel and putting it around his
dick  and balls, covering little else. He was expecting this. "What's  wrong?"
"Jesse,"   David held the bedpost, "You  won't...you won't tell anyone what
we did, will you?"
Jesse shrugged, "I hadn't  really thought about it..."  He  shrugged.
"Please  don't!"
"Well, aside from Jeremy, I  tell him everything, he and the Doctor..."   Jesse
's eyes grew vacant and lost,  thinking about the Doctor.
"Please, no one but that  guy I told you about, the one who owns the hotel...
he knows but he is too and even  then, he's..."
Jesse took a step forward  and then stopped. He put his hands up, "David,
David. Listen to me, Dave. I  won't tell anyone. Don't you worry. I understand."
David nervously smiled,  "I...thank you. I don't think I'm ready to let anyone
...everyone  know."
Jesse shrugged, "I've been  there myself. Even in my year. I can't push you
to tell anyone because I almost  didn't myself. Tell anyone that is. It's
okay. You might be happy the way you  are without telling anyone. But all in your
own time, you might want to. It's  your choice, not mine, not Jeremy's."
"Okay,"  David force-smiled. "So, uhm, I'll meet  you back at the kitchen
area, you know where it  is?"
"Yeah, you told us earlier  remember?"
"Can't say I remember even  my own name right now."   David  said, "Is it...
are you?"
"What?"
"Is it always like  that?"
Jesse smiled, dropped the  towel again, and shrugged and showed his beautiful
and natural straight teeth,  "Yeah. I mean nawh. It's even better and better.
"
"It...It's just sex  though,"  David's eyes didn't meet  Jesse's.
"No, David, it's not."   Jesse smiled but less so. He was  serious now. "
David. It might be for other people. But for me and the Doctor and  Jeremy and a
few others we've known. It's not just sex. I connected with you,  David. You
felt it. I...I know we just met but David, I love you. I  do."
"You...you're just saying  that,"   David looked down and  then up at Jesse.
Jesse shook his head,  negative. "No, David. I do. I don't have sex with...oh,
hell, I do but really I do  love most of the guys I have sex with..."
David smiled, "I'll meet  you downstairs..."   This time he  made eye
contact.
"Okay,"  Jesse smiled. After David left....and the  boy, bravely Jesse
thought, left the door open, Jesse snuck in and found more of  David's clothing.
David was singing as he showered...and like Jesse, he kept the  door open. Jesse,
loving all music, recognized the song as  a Momma and Poppa's song.
"You oughtta know by  now,  you oughta know by now...I saw  him again last
night. I knew that I would... "
David played with the  lyrics a bit. Jesse thought that was cool. He did the
same thing from time to  time and planet to planet. Jesse found a really cool
purple long sleeve, that  had some tie dyed logo on it, something that looked
almost hand made and it had  peace signs on the shoulders and a big one on the
front. He found a blue-gray  jacket that had a collar. Even though it was
hot, he  thought this would look cool when they  had the party later on. It too
had peace signs on the shoulders and hanging  fringe. He skipped the flares and
found faded jeans. "David, you are SO the  bomb."  He smirked at the price
of a  magazine, the title of which read MECHANO MAGAZINE...for 35 cents.
He went down to the main  corridor that hovered over Collinwood's great
foyer. He had to almost pry open  the door, shaking the wall with his strength.
When he opened the door, he jumped  back. Amid the brilliant summertime sunlight
that shone through the stained  glass windows, glaring and all, was a white
haired man. His hair was short, very  short and he had a neat shaven face. The
man had piercing blue eyes and a  sardonic face. He was not smiling. He wore a
neat formal suit, with slight lines  running up and down on it as part of the
make of the suit. He had a tie on and a  jacket. Jesse noticed the man smile
now. "I'm  sorry..."
"Hello. You must be one of  the many guests that my sister and son insist on
living here at the  moment."  The man said is as if he  didn't approve but
also found it quite amusing. Jesse couldn't help but also  notice the man held,
in his left hand, a large Cherrie glass, filled to the  brim.
"Isn't it a bit early  for...sister? Oh, so David's aunt Elizabeth is your
sister?"
"Big sister to be  exact."
"Oh, so, you...you're..."  Jesse pointed. He noted the man's hair  was combed
so as to make the most of what little was left. Still, he thought in  his day
this man was quite a good looking one. He must have been about 53 or so,
Jesse surmised.
"Yes, I'm David's father,  Roger."   He shook Jesse's  outstretched hand
even though Jesse had it out in a pointing finger.  "You've already met my son,
I take  it."
Jesse looked back behind  him and turned back. He wondered how much Roger
Collins knew about David and the  meeting they had just had. "Yes, he's a nice
guy."
"He's more than  a nice guy, I'd say. Allowing all of you  to stay here."
"Yes, he is a nice  guy.  And  more."
Roger smiled, "Yes, I'm  just being my old difficult self. When I was..."
Jesse put his eyebrows up.
"...patriarch of this  family..."
"Aren't you  still?"
Roger chuckled, "Touche. It  often doesn't feel like it. Kitten ..."
"Kitten? You have a  cat?"
"That's my pet name for my  niece Carolyn...Kitten, she and Liz and David now
run things better than I ever  could."
"Don't you  still?"
"Maybe from behind the  scenes. I never much cared for it, the fishing
business. Not really. Maybe  that's why I got myself into so much trouble all the
time."
Jesse laughed, "I'm the  same way."
"Probably why I married  David's horrible mother Laura and later another
horrid woman named  Cassandra."   Roger took a sip  of his Cherrie.  "The
thought of  those two women...I'll need a refill rather soon..."
Jesse laughed louder.  "You're a funny man. I can see where David gets his
sense of  humor."
"I'm funny now. Wasn't in  my day. Was a bit too serious. I'm proud of him,
the little monster, you  know."
"David? You shouldn't call  him a little monster."
"Oh, it's meant in  affection. He tried to kill me once...not that I blame
him. But seriously, I am  proud of him."
"You should be. I mean  we've only just met and already I can tell he's got
it together..."   He wanted to add mostly but he  wouldn't let anything slip as
to David's being a homosexual. He had taken to  heart Jeremy's comments
about this being a less enlightened era than 2007's. And  his promise to David. "
Would  you be  proud of him if..."
"If  what?"
"Well, does he know you're  proud of him? Have you told him?"
"You can tell him for me."
Jesse shrugged,  "Why?"
"Because I  am."
"No, I meant why don't you  tell him?"
Roger took another sip and  diverted his eyes. "Never been one for mushy
words. Oh, I know now they're  needed. I wish I had when David was growing up."
"It's never too  late."
"No, it's not. But tell him  for me just the same."
Jesse put a hand on Roger's  elbow. "I will. Would you be proud of him no
matter what, Mister Collins?"  He put his other hand on the other  elbow, now,
for effect.
"You can call me Roger. And  yes, yes, I would."
"You're a good man, Sir. I  should get going. I didn't really eat dinner,
despite David giving me some. I  mean leaving me some."
"So I heard. Been leaving  deposits."
He knows, Jesse thought.  "Huh?"
"Those damned carts all  over the hallways for the guests and all that."
"Ohhh,"  Jesse relaxed. "Anyway, he left me  something but I didn't get to
eat it...eat it all. And  I'm starved and have to get something to  eat."
"Don't let that old Mrs.  Johnson make you anything. Her son Harry, now that
boy can cook. But  she?"
"I hear she makes great  mayonnaise, though."
Roger smiled, "I hear you  do, too."
"What?"  Jesse  asked.
"Oh, nothing."   Roger  said.
"I should find my friend,  Jeremy first."
"I should think he'll be  along any moment now."
"You've seen him?"   Jesse  asked.
"Yes,"  Roger said, "When he first came here  with you and David. My niece
called the police on those ruffians. The lot of  them should go to hell."
"Now, now. They weren't  meant for hell..."
"Lots of things and people  in this house were meant for hell..."   Roger
eased up, "See. Serious about most things. Perhaps you're right.  Hell is meant
for only those who are the most evil...and even then...if their  millennia of
punishment makes them..."
"Are you a religious man,  Mister Coll...Roger?"
Roger smiled, "I am now.  Became that way. Had to. This house...one must find
ways of  coping against the myriad of  monsters and demons that parade through
 and around it."
Jesse smiled, "I'm sure  it's not that bad!"
"Jesse!"
"Oh, that's my friend, I've  got to go to him, he sounds in a state..."
Jesse turned to the doorway back  toward the bedrooms.
Roger held Jesse's arm  tight. Jesse started up at the taller man. "Before
you go to him, tell my son  that I love him, I'm proud of him and honored by
him. And...and I want him to be  happy no matter who he is with."
Jesse was let loose, "I  will, sir. I think he'll be glad to hear that."  He
does know, Jesse thought as Jeremy  yelled for him again..
"Go on."   Roger smiled. "Nice to meet  you."
"Nice to meet you,  too."  Jesse ran through the doors  to Jeremy, who
collided with him. Jeremy fell on top of him. They both breathed  heavy on each
other. "You are very heavy."
"He ain't heavy, he's my  brother,"  David said as he emerged  from his
bedroom and ran over to them.
"Jesse,"  Jeremy puffed, "This house. It's full of  monsters and demons and...
ghosts..."
David sighed and put his  hands on Jeremy's left arm, "Need a hand up?"
"Wait a moment, won't  you?"   Jesse felt his dick  under Jeremy growing.
Jeremy was still wearing his or rather David's small  t-shirt. The shirt rode up
and Jeremy's dick and balls were exposed and the dick  was sticking between
Jesse's pant legs.
Jeremy kissed Jesse's lips,  "I'm so glad I got out..."  he said  when lips
parted. "I found a few secret passageways. One came out just inside  Vicky's
old room. Carolyn was a bit startled when I came out in her room but she  went
back to sleep. I just told her I lost my way ...I'm not sure she believed  me..."

David, looking under  Jeremy's shirt to see his up his back from his ass and
balls, frowned, "Cousin  Carolyn's used to having people lie to her about
this  house...."
"I didn't want to scare  her."
"She doesn't' t scare  easily. Been through a lot."
Jesse turned Jeremy to his  side and then stood up. David and he pulled on
each of  Jeremy's arms, Jesse taking the right  arm.  Jesse nodded, "Why does
everyone keep saying that about this house and  family?"
"Like who?"
"Like,"  Jesse brushed Jeremy off, front first  and then patted him across
his posterior. He then slide his hand up and down  Jeremy's back and buttocks. "
Like...your father for a  start."
"My...father?"
"Yes, he's a really nice  man. He said  he was proud of you  and honored."
"He  did?"
"Yes."  Jesse said, emphatically. "I know he  said he never said it before
but I think he really, truly  is."
"Can we get back to my  ghosts?"  Jeremy said, "I saw  ghosts."
David ignored Jeremy....which  wasn't easy to do ever and especially at the
moment when he was practically  nude.  "And you saw him and spoke to  him?"
"Yeah. I think he might  even be all right with...ya know..."
"He said it. He finally  said it."
"Did you actually see  him?"
Jesse was getting annoyed  now. "Yes, why is that so strange?"
"Jesse,"  David turned to him, "My father died  over two years ago."
"Wha? No, I just spoke to  him. He was drinking Cherrie at the top of the
steps in the  great..."
"Jesse,"  David said, "He had a heart attack...in  the woods. Many think
there was foul play from that ex wife of Cassandra. Of  course, not many of the
family know what I do. That that evil bitch was really a  witch.."
"Dead?"  Jesse said and moved toward the foyer  landing door, "He's right...
dead, are you sure?"
"I'm sure."  Jeremy said, "I saw a whole bunch of  ghosts last night, got
trapped in a room with moving  dummies..."
Jesse put his hand up.  Jeremy was so prattling on like the Doctor now. He
blinked. "The Doc's always  gone on about not believing in ghosts..."
Jeremy sided up to Jesse  and whispered in his ear,  "He  didn't believe in
God either...until recently..."
"When I first saw him. I  thought, I thought maybe he was the Doctor."
Jesse whispered. "Jer, what are we gonna  do if he's regenerated into an older
body and an older  man...?"
"Let's worry about  that..."  Jeremy looked at him,  "Jesse, you really don'
t think that matters to me, do  you?"
Jesse shrugged, "I guess it  doesn't. But it might to..."
David looked at Jesse,  "What else did he say?"
"Uhm. He was proud of you,  honored by you and that he..."  Jesse  looked at
Jeremy and back into David's eyes, "He wanted you to be  happy, no matter who
you were  with...David..."   Jesse put his  hands on David's shoulders, "I think
he knows. Or knew before he died or  suspected. Or knows now that he's a
ghost that..."
"I guess he did,  does,"  David  said.
Jeremy sighed. "You guys  are both rattling on like the Doctor...can we get
something to eat?"   he moved to the foyer and started  to go down the steps in
the great foyer area.
Jesse and David ran to him.  "You might wanna get dressed first,"  David
whispered.
"Oh yeah,"  Jeremy sheepishly smiled at him. "Be  right back. I"ll hurry, I'
m starved."
"At least you had something  to eat."   Jesse  said.
David smiled diverted his  eyes. "You did, too."
"You're a funny kid,"  Jesse said.
"I'm older than you,"  David  thought.
"Wow,  a ghost from the past,"  Jesse nodded, "The recent past...but the
past all the same..."
David put a hand on Jesse's  back, "Don't let it get to you. That kind of
stuff happens a great deal at  Collinwood, not to worry about it."
Jesse shrugged again.  "I..I'm not. It was just that he was so real. I
touched him and  everything."
David raised his  eyebrows.
Jesse quickly realized how  that sounded and just as quickly added,  "On the
elbows."
David raised his eyebrows  even more.
"It was purely  platonic."   Jesse sweated and  it wasn't just the hot
summer last day of June or the shirt or the jacket. "We  shook hands."
David laughed. He elbowed  Jesse in the ribs lightly. "I'm just joshing ya."
"Joshing, right,"  Jesse relaxed. For a moment, his eyes  glazed over and he
was deep in thought.
Jeremy returned, dressed.  He wore a green shirt with black trim on the
sides, arms, and bottom. The bottom  was slightly too short for him and revealed a
bit of his flat but muscled belly.  David was a bit shorter than he was. He
also wore black bell bottoms, very tight  in the crotch.
Jeremy noticed Jesse's far  away look and detected the worry and sadness, "
We WILL get him  back."
Jesse sighed, "Whaa? What?  Oh, uh, yeah. I ..."
"We will find the  Doctor,"  Jeremy insisted and put  his arms around Jesse'
s neck and shoulders. "We  will."
"IF he's here,"  Jesse said, "If he's  here."
"If he's not or if he  is,"  Jeremy stated, "Somehow, some  way, we will."
"I dunno,"   Jesse nodded, "That rift...it  looked...the TARDIS..."
"Don't think about  it,"  Jeremy said, "If he's dead,  I'd..."   He looked
at Jesse who  had his bright blond eyebrows up, questioning.   Jeremy
continued by correcting his  mistake, "...we'd  BOTH  know it. We'd feel  it."
"Later this afternoon,  toward like five or so, my aunt will have the party.
You can check out all the  people there,"  David said, "One of  the guys
might be this Doctor friend of your's..."   He nodded and they followed him  down
the great staircase to the foyer and through a large arched and spacious
hallway.
As they walked,  Jesse gasped. The horror of what he  gasped at made him
stop. He was near a suit of armor,  "I..."
Jeremy grabbed Jesse's  chest, "What? What is it?"
"I  just...it's too horrible to even  contemplate..."
"What?"  Jeremy gasped  now.
David turned, "What's  wrong?"
"David said check out one  of the ...the guys..."
Jeremy frowned and let  Jesse go. "Are just being goofy again? Stop it."
"No, no. No, what, ahh,  what if, the Doctor's regenerated into...I can't
even say  it..."
Jeremy shook  his head, "Say  it!"
"A woman! A  girl!?"
Jeremy just wondered.  "C'mon, let's get something to eat. We're gonna need
our strength for  later..."   They had no sooner  started to walk again when
Jesse gasped again.  Jeremy jumped, startled, "What is it  now?"
"Those pants, they...they're  bell bottoms!"
Jeremy playfully slapped  him on the back of his blond head. "Goofy!"
David was not really  getting the joke, "They're the in thing and...I  don't..."

Jesse whispered to Jeremy,  "They're so gay..."
They walked into a large  breakfast, dining area. "Whoa."
Jesse echoed that,  "Yeah..."
To the far side was a  curved section of the ceiling that curved into the
side of the wall and it  sported a glass window that ran almost the full length
of the kitchen/dining  area. It was sectioned off by panes but beyond they
could see the beach...as well  as a myriad of trees that almost blocked it out with
their outstretched  branches, like hands reaching to block a nice view or
strive for attention. The  trees this time of year were sporting lively greens and
browns and yellows...even  orange colors left over from spring. Jeremy imagined
that in winter the trees  would be bare and seem like some monster from
POLTERGEIST, a living entity all  together. With gnarled fingers reaching...and
Collinwood, the whole area in deep  snow and under gray skies...he shook himself out
of it but the wind would howl and  it would seem cozy snuggled in this great
eerie mansion. Jeremy was optimistic  and nothing in this old dark shadowy
house would bring him down. They sat down  and Mrs. Johnson came out, "Hello, boys,
"  she said, raising an eyebrow, suspiciously. "I'm Mrs.  Johnson..."
"Jesse, Jeremy,"  David pointed. They nodded at her and  smiled.
"We've heard a lot about  you."  Jesse said,  waving.
"I'm sure,"  Mrs Johnson curled her lip, "Breakfast  will be ready
momentarily. The cook is happy to finally be serving some more  people..."   She wanted
to say  something but hesitated. She was an older woman of maybe 55 years of
age, her  hair tied back unattractively. She had a lived in face, worn and
haggard, yet  something there was something alluring about it. She wore an old
fashioned  style dress, befitting a cleaning lady  but from what David told
Jesse and Jeremy about her, the boys had the feeling  she was more like  a member
of the  family than an employee. "Well, I have some work to attend to before
the evening  get together...nice meeting you... boys..."
They sniggered as she left.  "She kinda knows,"  Jesse  said.
This made David stop  laughing. "Knows? About...?"
"I get the feeling she's  been around gay boys before,"  Jesse  nodded.
As the food arrived, they  stopped the chat and the servants nodded and left.
"Wow,"  Jeremy dug into pancakes and bacon.
Jesse began to eat oatmeal.  "This is great."
"Her son Harry,"  David said, absentmindedly, "I think he  might be...you know
..."   He  flipped his wrist down to indicate gay.
The flip wrist thing was so  strange a motion to the other two, they weren't
sure what it was supposed to  mean. Then they caught the reference. They
nodded. They ate the rest of  breakfast in an almost silence. Occasionally, they
would chat about the weather,  the upcoming firework shipping show, or the party
of this  evening.
Then Jeremy thought of  something, "Tell me more about your cousin Barnabus
and where he  lives..."
"Okay,"  David shrugged, finishing his breakfast.  "He lives in the Old House
...that's even closer to Widow's Hill then we are here  at Collinwood. As far
as we know, the family lived there until 1796 when this  house was built.
There are other dates though...like I said, time changes  sometimes..."   David
laughed at  that.
Jesse bit some more  cherries, "Don't we know it..."
"Well,  anyway..."
Quentin Collins, the man  from the portrait Jeremy saw earlier that morning,
walked through the summer  woods toward the Old House. He marched up past the
huge rounded columns, too  numerous to count. He made his way past them to the
doors and didn't bother to  knock. He opened them. He moved past a huge
wooden staircase toward the more  warming room of the den or reading room. There,
Barnabus Collins, craggy faced,  lived in look on his visage, rose from his red
velvet high backed chair. He put  down a book he was reading, the Life And
Death of Dr. Frankenstein. "Light  reading, Barnabus?"
"Quentin. This is a welcome  surprise...would you like some breakfast. I'm
sure Julia  could..."
"Is Julia or Willie  awake?"
"Willie? Why?"
Barnabus was wearing his  red informal jacket which he only wore when
relaxing. It still looked formal.  "My painting's missing, that's why."
"Oh no, missing?"  Barnabus asked, "Where did it  go?"
Quentin paced, "If I knew  that...it wouldn't be missing, would it?"
Barnabus paced after  Quentin and put his hand on his cousin three times
removed or something's  shoulder, "Quentin, we'll find it."
"Will we?"  Quentin asked, "I know it's been  relatively quiet since...since
you and Julia returned from the Far East but...I don't know. I feel something..."
  He turned to look at Barnabus's silence.  "What? You feel it, too?"
"All that. Roger finding  out about me, Angelique's murder of him, finding
Adam in the Far East, leaving  here with Julia and Willie...the fever that almost
killed both Adam and Julia, my  marriage to Julia in Singapore, that Far East
doctor Serizawa, who helped us  find a cure for my vampiri...I don't even dare
say the full word."
"I told you, you both  should never have come back here."
"David needed me. Needed  us. You, me, Julia, and Willie. We couldn't
abandon him and  Carolyn."
"Carolyn could take care of  herself. And as for David...even though for a
time he was lost in that plane  crash, he survived and managed. He's back here
now and  he's growing into a fine young  man."
"But  Roger..."
"I know you feel  responsible. Angelique's repented, Barnabus..."
"How convenient for  her."
"She's left you alone for a  few years."
"But you said something's  wrong..."  Barnabus said, "And I smell  her hand
in this."
"What's  happened?"
"Last night, Willie  saw Josette  again..."
"Josette!"  Quentin gasped but dare not say the name  too loud.
"Yes."
"But you haven't seen her  since...well, since that Leviathan thing..."
"Yes. And not just Josette  but Sarah as well..."
"Your  sister?"
"In her little girl form,  yes. I haven't seen her since my return here. She'
s forgiven me. But they lead  Willie to the main house...a boy there..."
"Yes, I know there's many  people staying there just now. Which doesn't suit
me fine by the  way..."
"This boy was lost in the  hallways. Trapped. The ghosts led Willie there.
Willie was able to open the trap  door panels without being spotted but...the boy
might have been in your  room..."
"That's it..."  Quentin's voice grew loud and he turned  to leave.
Barnabus turned, "Quentin,  wait! What are you going to do?!"
"I can't. You know what  will happen when the moon turns full!"  Quentin
opened the doors and moved down the outside steps.
Barnabus followed, "July  11th! That gives us around less than two weeks to
find the painting.  If you go storming at this kid, he and others will get
suspicious."
"I don't care about  suspicious...!"
"But!"  Barnabus stepped into the sunlight.  Something he did on a regular
basis these days. He enjoyed it. Even now.  Suddenly, his skin started to flame
up. He yelled. "Quentin!"
"Barnabus!"  Quentin ran to him and pushed him back  into the shade of the
giant overhanging cement that the columns held up. He  smacked the flame out
with his own hands as he pushed Barnabus back through the  open doors and let go
of Barnabus's arms only to shut them behind him. He ran to  the curtains,
closed them, "Willie! Julia!"   Quentin ran to Barnabus, "Are you  all right?"
Barnabus winced.  "NO!"  As he winced, Quentin could see  Barnabus's teeth.
The fangs grew before his eyes.
"Oh no!"  Quentin said, "It's worse than even we  thought!"
"Quentin, the coffin, I've  kept it. I've got to get to it!"
Quentin took Barnabus by  the arms and ushered him along. Julia ran from the
kitchen area while Willie ran  from upstairs. He had a hammer in his hand. "I
knew it! I knew it by the tone of  your call, Mister Quentin!"
"Just help me get him  downstairs! Julia, you have the cure, get some of  it!"

Julia was pale, "Yes. Yes,  I ...I will!"
Later, downstairs in a  stone cold cellar, Julia watched as Willie and
Quentin put Barnabus into his  coffin. Julia had an empty syringe and was toying
with it nervously. She flipped  it over and over between her wrinkled hands.  "
Useless.  Useless."
"Julia, will you please  stop saying that,"  Quentin  repeated. "The cure
doesn't work for the moment."
Willie hovered nearby, "But  why? Why don't it? Does it have anything to do
with Josette and Sarah  returning..."
"Josette. Willie, you saw  Josette?"
"And Sarah  too."
"It is worse than we  thought,"  Julia said and then began  to moan and
whine, "Oh Barnnnnnnnabusssssss..."
"What are we gonna do,  Quentin?"  Willie  asked.
"You two stay here and be  careful,"  Quentin said, "We don't  know exactly
what state he's in. I'm going to do something...that's for  sure..."    he ran
up the  steps from the cellar.  It wouldn't  take long to get to the main
house. According to Barnabus, July 11th  was the next full moon. That gave them
about 12 days to find the portrait. If it  was not in his possession, he would
change into the  werewolf...
The boys had finished  eating and David brought the other two to  a large
billiards room. David went to a table ping pong set up, "Fancy a  game?"
Jesse nodded, "Yeah,  sure."  He took off David's stylish  sun glasses and
put them down on a couch as sunlight filtered into the room via  the large
overhead skylights.
"Jeremy, you can play  winner,"  David  said.
"Maybe later,"  Jeremy nodded, "I want to get a look  around again, maybe I
can meet some of the guests before the party."
"I'll go with you,"  Jesse  started.
"No, no. You play with  David...again,"  Jeremy smiled and  winked at them
both. "Besides, I want to change these pants. No offense, David,  I like em' but
they're  a bit too  tight for me."
David smiled and offered,  "I think  you look great in  em."
Jesse laughed. "See ya  later..."
"Okay, are you sure you  don't want me to cum?"
"I do but later,"   Jeremy joked and left the  room.
David hit the little ping  pong ball.   Jesse hit it back  to him. "He should
have let me go with him..."
"He'll be right back..."   David returned the  hit.
Jesse nodded, "Still,  I dunno..."
Jeremy went up to the room,  opened the door and into the room. He left the
door open and moved to the  dresser, the drawers of which were filled with David
's clothing. David's  adjoining room door was still open. It had been left
open from the night before  and this morning. Suddenly, it slammed shut,
causing Jeremy to startled again.  He jumped. As he recovered, thinking---one tends
to get startled a great deal in  this house---he turned. Quentin Collins, the
man from the painting  he found, was there in the flesh. Jeremy  looked into
his eyes. "Who?"
"My name's not important. I  see you've been snooping around David's room
as  well!"
"No,"  Jeremy took a step forward, "You've got  it wrong, it's not like
that, see it's..."
"Don't move!"  Quentin held a razor thin rapier.  He held it at Jeremy's
throat. "I took  this from downstairs, it was on the wall..."
"I remember seeing  it,"  Jeremy looked at Quentin only,  not at the rapier.
His eyes began to tear a bit and he was not sure it was from  being
threatened or from the musty house.
"Observant little bugger,  aren't you!"   He moved the  point from Jeremy's
throat to the bottom of the shirt, which he then moved up  with the point to
reveal more of Jeremy's hot, muscled belly. He put the point  into Jeremy's
belly button, "Let's see what you've got under there, shall we? I  guess a
certain portrait of mine can't be under there, not enough room..."
Feeling the shirt rub  upward and the point nub his navel, Jeremy looked down
at his impending doom. It  kind of made him feel hot. He felt his dick rise
up under his shirt and almost  out of his tight pants. The tight pants were
making his dickhead push up to the  button that held the pants closed. This made
him feel great and he felt wet as  well. He was about to burst. Jeremy thought
it was the tradition of most of  Collins family to do what Quentin did next.
Quentin kept talking,  "...okay, let me get to the real point...if  you don't
re turn my painting to me and tell me what you've done to hurt  Barnabus...I'm
going to run this right through your  belly....NOW!"
Jeremy could feel the point  sting a bit into his navel...he looked up at
Quentin...who moved his hand and arm  inward!

DOCTOR WHO STING MUSIC into  DARK SHADOWS long end theme
TBC...